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

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.