Topochemical Synthesis of 2D Carbon Hybrids through Self-Boosting Catalytic Carbonization of a Metal–Polymer Framework

Two-dimensional (2D) carbon hybrids have promise in various areas such as energy storage and catalysis. Simple methods for controllable fabrication of 2D graphitic carbon hybrids in a scalable manner remains challenging. Now, a microwave-assisted strategy for mass production of 2D carbon hybrids based on self-boosting catalytic carbonization of a metal–agarose framework is demonstrated. Hybrids including hollow Fe₃C nanoparticles, Ni/Co nanoparticles, and hollow FeO_x nanoparticles uniformly embedded in 2D graphitic carbon nanosheets (GCNs) are obtained, demonstrating the generality of the approach. Metal–polymer coordination and microwave-enabled fast catalytic decomposition of precursors play vital roles in facilitating the formation of the nanosheet structure. The resulting FeO_x-GCNs hybrid exhibits superior lithium-storage performance (1118 mAh g⁻¹ at 500 mA g⁻¹ and 818 mAh g⁻¹ at 2000 mA g⁻¹ after 1200 cycles).