The Open Materials Science Journal

2008, 2 : 19-22
Published online 2008 May 7. DOI: 10.2174/1874088X00802010019
Publisher ID: TOMSJ-2-19

Synthesis and Characterization of Polyhedral Graphite Particles

Wen Qian , Qianwang Chen , Fangyu Cao and Changle Chen
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei.

ABSTRACT

Hollow polyhedral graphite particles with 200~400 nm in diameter have been synthesized by heating oxalic acid, ferrocene and metallic magnesium at 580 °C, typically forming diamond-like octahedral structure. Combined with SEM, TEM, SAED patterns, and Raman spectroscopy, it was shown that the surface of graphite polyhedrons is composed of approximately 30-40 graphene shells; the four- or six- fold symmetric diffraction spots disclosed the nature of octahedral graphite particles; the edge of the graphite polyhedrons exists sp3-hybridized bonding, which would act as dangling bonds and localized defects in the polyhedron.

Keywords:

Nanostructures, chemical synthesis, crystal structure and symmetry.