Fabrication of poly(N-ethylaniline)/lignosulfonate composites and their carbon microspheres

Novel poly(N-ethylaniline)/lignosulfonate (PNA-LS) composites were prepared via an in situ polymerization of N-ethylaniline (NA) with lignosulfonate (LS) as a dispersant. Nitrogen-containing carbon materials were obtained by direct pyrolysis of the PNA-LS composites at the pyrolytic temperatures ranging from 300°C to 1200°C. The as-prepared PNA-LS composites and their carbon materials were investigated by TGA, SEM, TEM, FTIR and UV-vis spectra, XRD and elemental analysis. The results showed that the morphology, structure and properties of the PNA-LS composites were depended on the LS:NA mass ratio. PNA-LS microspheres with an average diameter of 1300 nm could be fabricated when the LS:NA mass ratio was 2.5:97.5, while regular hexagon sheets of PNA-LS composite were obtained with the LS:NA mass ratio above 5:95. Furthermore, nitrogen-containing carbon nanospheres with an average diameter of 820 nm were achieved at the carbonization temperature of 800°C.