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The large-scale green synthesis of graphene-type two-dimensional materials is still challenging. Herein, we describe the ionothermal synthesis of carbon-based composites from fructose in the iron-containing ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloridoferrate(III), [Bmim][FeCl4] serving as solvent, catalyst, and template for product formation. The resulting composites consist of oligo-layer graphite nanoflakes and iron carbide particles. The mesoporosity, strong magnetic moment, and high specific surface area of the composites make them attractive for water purification with facile magnetic separation. Moreover, Fe3Cfree graphite can be obtained via acid etching, providing access to fairly large amounts of graphite material. The current approach is versatile and scalable, and thus opens the door to ionothermal synthesis towards the larger-scale synthesis of materials that are, although not made via a sustainable process, useful for water treatment such as the removal of organic molecules.
Mesoporous carbon/iron carbide hybrid materials with surface areas reaching 800 m(2) g(-1) were synthesized via an exotemplating route using monolithic mesoporous silica as template and the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloridoferrate(III) [Bmim][FeCl4] as carbon and iron source. After heat treatment (750 degrees C under argon) of the [Bmim][FeCl4] precursor confined within the silica matrix, the silica exotemplate was removed with HF leaving the mesoporous C/Fe3C hybrid behind. The surface areas and the pore sizes depend on the exotemplate and the surface areas a significantly larger than any other surface area reported for C/Fe3C hybrid materials so far. The approach is thus a prototype for the synthesis of high-surface area iron carbide-based hybrid materials with potential application in catalysis.