Preparation of Fe-cored carbon nanomaterials from mountain pine beetle-killed pine wood

• The lowest temperature of forming carbon shells capturing Fe particles is 700 °C.
• Beetle-killed pine can be used for production of Fe-cored carbon nanomaterials.
• Fe-cored nanoparticles can be used for biosensing, drug delivery, catalyst, etc.
• Suitable temperatures were found for production of Fe-cored carbon materials.
• Carbonization yield of pine samples with Fe is 1–3% higher than one without Fe.

The mountain pine beetle-killed lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) wood treated with iron (III) nitrate solution was used for the preparation of Fe-cored carbon nanomaterials (Fe-CNs) under various carbonization temperatures. The carbonization yield of Fe-treated sample (5% as Fe) was always 1–3% higher (after ash compensation) than that of the non-treated samples heated at the same condition. The lowest carbonization temperature required to produce Fe-CNs was 700 °C. The carbon shell was composed of 30–40 well-aligned layers of graphitic carbon nanostructure. The iron captured by graphitic layers was assumed to be iron carbides and/or α-Fe and γ-Fe. This study indicates that at least 700 °C of carbonization temperature is needed for the production of Fe-CNs and the mountain pine beetle-killed pine wood can be a carbon source for the production of Fe-CNs.