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Article

New Scalable Electrosynthesis of Distinct High Purity Graphene Nanoallotropes from CO2 Enabled by Transition Metal Nucleation

1
Independent Researcher, Calgary, AB T3S0A2, Canada
2
Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Crystals 2025, 15(8), 680; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15080680
Submission received: 13 July 2025 / Revised: 21 July 2025 / Accepted: 23 July 2025 / Published: 25 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring New Materials for the Transition to Sustainable Energy)

Abstract

The electrochemical conversion of CO2 into high-purity Graphene NanoCarbon (GNC) materials provides a compelling path to address climate change while producing economically valuable nanomaterials. This work presents the progress and prospects of new large-scale syntheses of GNC allotropes via the C2CNT (CO2 to Carbon Nano Technology) process. The C2CNT molten carbonate electrolysis technique enables the formation of Carbon NanoTubes (CNTs), Magnetic CNTs (MCNTs), Carbon Nano-Onions (CNOs), Carbon Nano-Scaffolds (CNSs), and Helical CNTs (HCNTs) directly from atmospheric or industrial CO2. We discuss the morphology control enabled through variations in electrolyte composition, temperature, current density, and nucleation additives. We present results from scaled operations reaching up to 1000 tons/year CO2 conversion and propose design approaches to reach megaton scales to support climate mitigation and GNC mass production. The products demonstrate high crystallinity, as evidenced by Raman, XRD, SEM, and TGA analyses, and offer promising applications in electronics, construction, catalysis, and medical sectors.
Keywords: carbon dioxide utilization; carbon nanotubes; graphene nanocarbon; electrochemical synthesis; climate mitigation; molten carbonate electrolysis carbon dioxide utilization; carbon nanotubes; graphene nanocarbon; electrochemical synthesis; climate mitigation; molten carbonate electrolysis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hofstetter, K.; Licht, G.; Licht, S. New Scalable Electrosynthesis of Distinct High Purity Graphene Nanoallotropes from CO2 Enabled by Transition Metal Nucleation. Crystals 2025, 15, 680. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15080680

AMA Style

Hofstetter K, Licht G, Licht S. New Scalable Electrosynthesis of Distinct High Purity Graphene Nanoallotropes from CO2 Enabled by Transition Metal Nucleation. Crystals. 2025; 15(8):680. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15080680

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hofstetter, Kyle, Gad Licht, and Stuart Licht. 2025. "New Scalable Electrosynthesis of Distinct High Purity Graphene Nanoallotropes from CO2 Enabled by Transition Metal Nucleation" Crystals 15, no. 8: 680. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15080680

APA Style

Hofstetter, K., Licht, G., & Licht, S. (2025). New Scalable Electrosynthesis of Distinct High Purity Graphene Nanoallotropes from CO2 Enabled by Transition Metal Nucleation. Crystals, 15(8), 680. https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15080680

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