One-Step Synthesis of Multifunctional Zinc-Iron-Oxide Hybrid Carbon Nanowires by Chemical Fusion for Supercapacitors and Interfacial Water Marbles

Abstract

Hybrid carbon nanowires with tunable elemental composition and nanoscale component mixing resolution can be synthesized by a chemical fusion method in one pot, using a unique heating mechanism of conducting polymers under the electromagnetic field of microwave. Carbon nanowire matrices hybridized with metals and oxides can be facilely synthesized by simple instrumentation and processes within tens of seconds. Different metallic precursors (e.g. Fe and Zn) can be selectively incorporated in the chemical fusion process that substantially integrated with the carbon nanowire matrices during the growth process while their characteristic functions are infused. The hybrid carbon nanowires show excellent electrochemical supercapacitive and supramolecular self-assembly properties owing to the unique hybrid nanostructures and surface characteristics. Interfacial water marbles can be obtained by the supramolecular self-assembly of hybrid carbon nanowires on the water/hexane interface. The interfacial water marbles are semi-permanent and completely impede the event of coalescence cascade, demonstrating significant applications in mass transport, microfluidics, and interfacial synthesis.