Carbon Nanofibers: Catalytic Synthesis and Applications

Catalytic Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers

Carbon nanotubes and nanofibers are graphitic filaments/whiskers with diameters ranging from 0.4 to 500 nm and lengths in the range of several micrometers to millimeters. Carbon nanofibers and nanotubes are grown by the diffusion of carbon (via catalytic decomposition of carbon containing gases or vaporized carbon from arc discharge or laser ablation) through a metal catalyst and its subsequent...

Carbon Nanofibers for Environmental Applications

Catalytically grown carbon nanofibers (CNF) are a newly developed type of material produced from the decomposition of selected carbon-containing gases over metal particles. These materials consist of nano-sized graphite platelets separated a distance of at least 0.335 nm and stacked in various orientations with respect to the fiber axis. Such an arrangement results in a unique structure that is...

Non-Catalytic, Low-Temperature Synthesis of Carbon Nanofibers by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Carbon nanofibers grown on metallic filters as novel catalytic materials

Carbon nanofibers (CNF) were synthesized on sintered metal fibers (SMF) filters of nickel and Ni-containing alloys (Inconel, stainless steel (SS)) by thermal chemical vapor deposition of ethane in the presence of hydrogen at 660 8C. The CNFs were formed directly over the SMF filters without deposition of metal particles. The catalytic active sites leading to the CNF formation were attained by o...

One-Pot Synthesis of Carbon Nanofibers from CO2.

Carbon nanofibers, CNFs, due to their superior strength, conductivity, flexibility, and durability have great potential as a material resource but still have limited use due to the cost intensive complexities of their synthesis. Herein, we report the high-yield and scalable electrolytic conversion of atmospheric CO2 dissolved in molten carbonates into CNFs. It is demonstrated that the conversio...