Removal of Metallic and Organic Contaminants from Aqueous Streams by Novel Filtration Methods

Graphite nanofibers, are a novel material that has been developed in our laboratory from the metal catalyzed decomposition of certain hydrocarbons (1). These structures possess a cross-sectional area that varies between 5 to 100 nm and have lengths ranging from 5 to 100 mm (2). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies have revealed that the nanofibers consist of extremely well-ordered graphite platelets (3), which are oriented in various directions with respect to the fiber axis. The arrangement of the graphene layers can be tailored to a desired geometry by choice of the correct catalyst system and reaction conditions, and it is therefore possible to generate structures where the layers are stacked in a “ribbon”, “herring-bone”, or “stacked” orientation.