Synthesis of helical carbon nanofiber for greenhouse gas fixation and mechanistic insight into CO driven carbon formation

Atsuki Sakata; Hideki Abe; Takeshi Fujita; Akira Yamaguchi; Shigenori Ueda; Boborahimov Azamat Boborahim Ugli; Masahiro Miyauchi; Shusaku Shoji

doi:10.1016/j.jcou.2026.103471

Article Synthesis of helical carbon nanofiber for greenhouse gas fixation and mechanistic insight into CO driven carbon formation

Atsuki Sakata ; Hideki Abe ; Takeshi Fujita ; Akira Yamaguchi ; Shigenori Ueda ; Boborahimov Azamat Boborahim Ugli ; Masahiro Miyauchi ; Shusaku Shoji

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Atsuki Sakata, Hideki Abe, Takeshi Fujita, Akira Yamaguchi, Shigenori Ueda, Boborahimov Azamat Boborahim Ugli, Masahiro Miyauchi, Shusaku Shoji. Synthesis of helical carbon nanofiber for greenhouse gas fixation and mechanistic insight into CO driven carbon formation. Journal of CO2 Utilization. 2026, 109 (), 103471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcou.2026.103471

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The utilization of carbon monoxide (CO), a key intermediate generated in CO2 reduction and syngas-based processes, is a central challenge in carbon management.
Although several studies have explored carbon growth from CO, conventional approaches often suffer from limited structural control and heterogeneous products,
hindering the valorization of CO into advanced materials. Here, we report a robust and potentially scalable method to directly synthesize helical carbon nanofibers
(hCNFs) from CO under ambient pressure, enabling a carbon-negative pathway when integrated with dry reforming of methane (DRM, CH4 + CO2 → 2 H2 + 2CO).
Using an earth-abundant Fe–Mo nanocomposite catalyst (Fe#MoOx), we achieve uniform Fe nanoparticle stabilization during reduction and carburization, which is
essential for controlled helical growth. The resulting hCNFs exhibit uniform morphology (≈100 nm diameter; several micrometers in length), a narrow diameter
distribution (σ < 11.6 nm), high graphitic order, and a carbon yield of ~20% relative to carbon input. Notably, structural characterization reveals an exceptionally
high density of edge-plane exposure, approaching the theoretical maximum attainable for CNFs. This feature endows the material with intrinsically high surface
energy and provides a foundation for exploiting edge-rich carbon architectures in applications. In situ mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy further elucidate
the distinct sequence of reduction, carburization, and spiral growth. By transforming CO into nanostructured carbons of unprecedented structural quality, this study
provides a practical solution to the CO bottleneck in CO2 utilization and establishes a platform for advanced applications in electrochemical storage, photothermal
conversion, and biointerfaces.

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