Preparation of 3D carbon nanonets from SDBS in concentrated salt system

Abstract

The synthesis protocol utilized sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (80 × CMC) as carbon precursor combined with 100 g NaCl to construct a concentrated SDBS/NaCl templating system. Controlled carbonization at 800 °C for 2 h produced 3D carbon nanonets, which were systematically characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Structural analyses revealed an amorphous carbon matrix with hierarchical porosity and partial graphitic ordering, while infrared spectroscopy identified characteristic surface functional groups through distinct vibrational modes: CC (1475 cm⁻¹), CO (1725 cm⁻¹), and CO (1033.5 cm⁻¹) bonds. The 3D carbon nanonets demonstrated methylene blue adsorption capacities reaching 158 mg/g under 500 mg/L concentration conditions. Notably, the NaCl template exhibited recyclability through aqueous dissolution–recrystallization cycles, enabling repeatable batch synthesis of three-dimensional carbon networks in high-salinity environments. This template recovery mechanism provides critical technical parameters for scaling production processes while maintaining structural consistency across fabrication batches, establishing fundamental guidelines for industrial implementation of salt-templated carbon nanomaterial manufacturing. The SDBS/NaCl surfactant-assisted salt templating system was innovatively employed to engineer carbon nanonets, establishing a novel methodology for nanostructured material synthesis.