Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis of Carbon Aerogels of High-Surface Area and Porosity

Armando Peña,Joaquín L Brito,Edgar Cañizales,Julio Puerta,Aimé Guerrero

doi:10.1155/2012/708626

Abstract

In this work carbon aerogels were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition method (CCVD). Ferrocene were employed as a source both of catalytic material (Fe) and of carbon. Gaseous hydrogen and argon were used as reductant and carrier gas, respectively. The products of reaction were collected over alumina. The morphology and textural properties of the soot produced in the reaction chamber were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy, High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and N2physisorption (BET and BHJ methods). After the evaluation of the porous structure of the synthesized products, 780 ± 20 m2/g ofSBETand 0.55 ± 0.02 cm3/g ofVBJHwere found. The presence of iron carbide and the partial oxidation of carbon nanostructures were revealed by XPS.

Highlights

The fabrication of carbon nanostructures with characteristic morphologies will determine further applications such as field emitters, gas storage (H2 for fuel cells), sensors, and biosensors, and so forth [1]
In this work carbon aerogels were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition method (CCVD)
Carbon aerogels are usually synthesized by hightemperature pyrolysis of organic aerogels, which in turn are prepared by polymerization of two monomers using sol-gel methods and processing the resulting material under supercritical conditions [5, 6]

Summary

Introduction

The fabrication of carbon nanostructures with characteristic morphologies will determine further applications such as field emitters, gas storage (H2 for fuel cells), sensors, and biosensors, and so forth [1]. Carbon aerogels are nanostructured porous materials consisting in a network of carbonaceous particles of uniform nanosized dimensions, with superficial areas that commonly are found between 400 and 1100 m2/g and an electric conductivity of approximately 1000 A/cm They are highly demanded in scientific technology: the most important applications of these carbonaceous structures are as electrodes and supercapacitors, where they serve as support for metal nanoparticles [3, 4]. Carbon aerogels are usually synthesized by hightemperature pyrolysis of organic aerogels, which in turn are prepared by polymerization of two monomers (e.g., resorcinol-formaldehyde) using sol-gel methods and processing the resulting material under supercritical conditions [5, 6] This type of synthesis involves several steps under very diverse conditions. It has been proposed as a method for growing carbon nanotubes and filaments within the porous structure of conventionally prepared carbon aerogels [9, 10]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion