A novel method for preparation of hollow and solid carbon spheres

Hollow and solid carbon spheres were prepared by the reaction of ferrocene and ammonium carbonate in a sealed quartz tube at 500°C. The morphology and microstructure of the product were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The carbon spheres are amorphous and their diameters range from 0·8–2·8 μm. The shell thickness of the hollow carbon spheres is not uniform and ranges from 100–180 nm. It is suggested that ammonium carbonate is crucial for the formation of carbon spheres and its amount also influences the morphology of the product. The method may be suitable for large scale preparation of carbon spheres.