Physical and chemical aspects of the study of clusters, nanostructures and nanomaterials. Founded at 2009


Influence of the parameters of microwave catalytic pyrolysis of cellulose on the carbon nanostructures synthesis

A.N. Zaritovskii, E.N. Kotenko, S.V. Grishchuk

L.M. Litvinenko Institute of Physical Organic and Coal Chemistry

DOI: 10.26456/pcascnn/2025.17.841

Original article

Abstract: Carbon nanomaterials are a key component of developing nanotechnologies due to their unique characteristics and diverse applications. The production of biomass-based carbon nanostructures is considered a promising research area. Lignocellulosic materials are abundant carbon-rich renewable resources and have a sufficiently high potential to be converted into valuable carbon nanomaterials by various methods and technologies. Microwave pyrolysis is characterized as a process of thermochemical biomass conversion with improved energy efficiency and rapid heating. In this study, the catalytic synthesis of carbon nanotubes accompanying microwave pyrolysis of cellulose-containing feedstock using catalysts that are metal-modified graphite was investigated. It has been established that for obtaining multi-walled carbon nanotubes, the optimal metal content in the catalyst is 23-32%. Experiments studying the effect of microwave processing time on carbon nanostructure synthesis have demonstrated that carbon nanotubes formation mainly occurs during the first 3 minutes of exposure to ultra-high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. The possibility to exert a directed influence on the structure and morphology of the forming carbon nanomaterials by changing the synthesis parameters was shown. The products of microwave pyrolysis of cellulose have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray phase analysis.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes, synthesis, cellulose, microwave pyrolysis, composite metal-carbon catalysts

  • Aleksandr N. Zaritovskii – Ph. D., Senior Researcher, Department of Supramolecular Chemistry, L.M. Litvinenko Institute of Physical Organic and Coal Chemistry
  • Elena N. Kotenko – Junior Researcher, Department of Supramolecular Chemistry, L.M. Litvinenko Institute of Physical Organic and Coal Chemistry
  • Svetlana V. Grishchuk – Junior Researcher, Department of Supramolecular Chemistry, L.M. Litvinenko Institute of Physical Organic and Coal Chemistry

For citation:

Zaritovskii A.N., Kotenko E.N., Grishchuk S.V. Vliyanie parametrov protsessa mikrovolnovogo kataliticheskogo piroliza tsellyulozy na sintez uglerodnykh nanostruktur [Influence of the parameters of microwave catalytic pyrolysis of cellulose on the carbon nanostructures synthesis], Fiziko-khimicheskie aspekty izucheniya klasterov, nanostruktur i nanomaterialov [Physical and chemical aspects of the study of clusters, nanostructures and nanomaterials], 2025, issue 17, pp. 841-850. DOI: 10.26456/pcascnn/2025.17.841.

Full article (in Russian): download PDF file

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