Characterization of Carbon Nanofibers Treated with Thermal Nitrogen as a Catalyst Support Using Point-of-Zero Charge Analysis

The chemical and physical purification of carbon nanofiber exposes more anchoring sites between meal precursors and carbon surface but thermal N2gas flow maintains the crystal’s structure as well as its defect and edge sites, referred to as active sites or anchoring sites. After calcination in nitrogen at 450°C, samples were characterized by Raman spectra X-ray diffraction, as well as thermogravimetric and nitrogen physisorption analyses. Results showed a relatively lower fraction of amorphous carbon to graphite, indicating a greater removal of amorphous carbon. Moreover, the disorder intensity of carbon nanofibers that were treated in N2flow rate of 1 L/min and 3 hours, called 1Gcom-3h sample, achieved far more defect sites compared with unmodified carbon nanofiber. In addition, the surface areas of mesoporous carbon nanofibers decreased over prolonged residence time. The carbon nanofiber support-metal cation interaction therefore improved the deposition of iron when the point-of-zero charge reading was greater than four.

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