Structure and Properties of Self-Organized 2D and 3D Antimony/Carbon Composites

The conditions of synthesis of antimony/carbon composites by interlayer self-assembly from colloidal solutions and melts are discussed. The morphology and the structure of these composites are examined. The potential to produce composites of 2D and 3D morphologies is demonstrated. The 2D composite has a multilayer graphene structure with submicron antimony inclusions, while the 3D composite has a spheroidal shell structure with a deformed film-shell with carbon nanoinclusions. The difference in properties of these composites is demonstrated: the 2D composite is conductive, while the 3D composite has a nonlinear current–voltage characteristic that indicates the emergence of novel functional properties of the spheroidal antimony/carbon composite. A model of exfoliation of the layered precursor with covalent interlayer coupling is proposed. This model provides an explanation for the experimentally observed nonlinear hydrodynamic processes in the colloidal antimony solution.