Construction of Functional Phenolic Resin and Carbon Hollow Spheres by Manipulating Structural Inhomogeneity

Hollow carbonaceous spheres are extraordinarily attractive for their unique structural features and wide applications in various fields. Herein, a facile and effective synthesis methodology based on the extended Stöber process for construction of phenolic resin hollow spheres has been presented. Combined with a series of characterization techniques, the synthesis process was systematically investigated, and a possible synthesis mechanism was proposed. It is revealed that the structural inhomogeneity of the polymer product achieved by using dodecylamine and alkane is responsible for the formation of hollow architecture, which depends on spontaneous selective dissolution during the synthesis process. Different metal-doped carbonaceous hollow spheres can be obtained by introducing corresponding precursors into the synthetic system and meeting requirements of different application fields. This work presented a novel synthesis strategy of hollow carbonaceous spheres, which is significant for building a new platform of advanced functional carbon-based composites.

Magnesium oxide anchored into a hollow carbon sphere realizes synergistic adsorption and activation of CO2 for electrochemical reduction

We report the synergistic adsorption and activation of CO₂ by using magnesium oxide anchored into a hollow carbon sphere (MgO/HCS) as an efficient catalyst for electrochemical reduction of CO₂ (ERC). The MgO/HCS catalyst exhibits a high selectivity for CO production with a faradaic efficiency of 81.7% at -1.0 V vs. RHE and a partial current density (PCD) of 16.7 mA cm^-2 in aqueous electrolyte.

Selective oxidation of glycerol to tartronic acid over Pt/N-doped mesoporous carbon with extra framework magnesium catalysts under base-free conditions

N-Doped mesoporous carbons (NMCs) with extra framework magnesium were prepared by a one-pot method and used as supports for Pt catalysts. The surface basicity of NMC improved in the presence of extra framework magnesium (e.g., -Ph-O-Mg), meanwhile, the electron density of Pt was enriched by the electron transfer from graphitic N in NMC to Pt. As a result, the catalytic activity of the supported Pt catalyst was improved to be able to selectively oxidize glycerol (GLY) to tartronic acid (TA) under base-free conditions.