The Dispersion of Hydrothermal Carbon Microspheres from Camellia oleifera Shells in Different Solutions

Carbon microspheres were prepared by low temperature hydrothermal carbonization using Camellia oleifera seed shells as precursor and phloroglucinol as additive. The dispersivity of the carbon microspheres in different pH aqueous solution, ethanol and cyclohexane was studied. Combined with the results of FT-IR and XPS characterization of carbon microspheres, the factors that influenced the dispersion were discussed. This work provides some basic data for the practical application of the as-prepared hydrothermal carbon microspheres in different pH and different polar media. It can be seen from the experimental results that the solutions of different pH and different polar media respectively affect the surface of carbon microspheres by exhibiting different anion and cation properties or form intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the carbon microspheres, thereby affecting their dispersibility in different solutions. This explains that the dispersibility of carbon microspheres in the alkaline solution is better than the acidic solution, which is the most dispersible in a polar organic solution and almost impossible to disperse in a non-polar organic solution. This work will provide some basic data for the practical application of the as-prepared hydrothermal carbon microspheres in different pH and different polar media.