Two birds with one stone: Simultaneous fabrication of HfC nanowires and CNTs through efficient utilization of polymer-derived ceramics

Abstract

• Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated by using the waste gasses when preparing hafnium carbide nanowires (HfC NWs ) through thermal pyrolysis of Hf-containing precursor. • The CO and CH 4 released by Hf-containing precursor are the main carbon source for the growth of CNTs. • The in situ growth of HfC NWs increased the flexural strength of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites, and CNTs/carbon cloth displayed enhanced electrochemical performance. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are fabricated in carbon cloth by ultilizing the waste gasses when fabricating hafnium carbide nanowires (HfC NWs ) through thermal pyrolysis of Hf-containing polymer precursor. The formed HfC NWs are distributed uniformly on the surface of the carbon fibers in carbon/carbon (C/C) composites and display perfect single crystal appearance. The pyrolysis of the Hf-containing organic precursor provides hafnium and carbon source for the growth of HfC NWs . The released waste gasses containing CO, CH 4 and CO 2 are the main carbon source for the growth of CNTs. Specifically, the flexural strength of HfC NWs reinforced carbon/carbon (HfC NWs -C/C) composites is enhanced by ∼105% compared with pure C/C, and the CNTs/carbon cloth also displays improved electrochemical performance with respect to capacitor applications. The present study introduces a novel sustainable and eco-friendly process related to polymer-derived ceramics to form advanced ceramic nanocomposites and proposes a deep understanding of the growth mechanism of CNTs.