Photothermal Annealing-Enabled Millisecond Synthesis of Carbon Nanoonions and Simultaneous Single-Atom Functionalization

D Jeon and H Shin and JH Cha and H Kim and S Park and J Ahn and SH Cho and C Park and DH Kim and E Shin and H Baik and J Kim and SY Choi and I Kim, ACS NANO, 19, 34235-34247 (2025).

DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c11229

Carbon nanoonions (CNOs), known for their nanometer-scale surface curvature and potential for versatile functionalization, are widely used in energy and environmental applications. However, they face challenges from energy-intensive synthesis and time-consuming post-treatments, resulting in low yields and poor-quality sp2 shells, which limit their commercial viability. In this study, we introduce a direct-contact annealing (DCA) platform reaching up to 3030 K within 1.4 ms (2.2 x 106 K s-1), utilizing black-colored photothermal agents for millisecond- scale synthesis of CNO under ambient air. Moreover, we demonstrate simultaneous in situ single-atom catalyst (SACs) functionalization with eight different metal elements on the outer surface of CNOs. A case study on Pt SAC-functionalized CNOs demonstrates outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction performance. This DCA platform provides a promising alternative to conventional harsh conditions for SAC/CNO electrocatalyst synthesis, enabling ultrafast and facile production of surface- functionalized catalysts with exceptional energy efficiency and scalability advantages for advanced energy applications.

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