Template Synthesis of Mesoporous Carbon Microfibers as a Catalyst Support for Methanol Electrooxidation

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research Vol. 46; no. 26; pp. 9097 - 9102
• Main Authors: Su, Fabing, Zeng, Jianhuang, Bai, Peng, Lv, Lu, Guo, Pei-Zhi, Sun, Hong, Li, Hong Liang, Yu, Jianqiang, Lee, Jim Yang, Zhao, Xiu Song
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 19.12.2007
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalytic reactions; Chemical engineering; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Reactors; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Oxidation; Electrochemical reaction; Supported catalyst; Catalyst support
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/ie070784q

Mesoporous carbon microfibers (MCMFs) were prepared using one-dimensional alumina microfibers as the templates via chemical vapor deposition method. Physical adsorption of nitrogen, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, field-emission transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to study the structure and morphology of the samples. MCMFs possess a core/shell structure with a surface area of 409 m2/g. The core structure of the obtained MCMFs was composed of mesopores with a pore size of 8.8 nm, whereas the dense shell with a thickness of around 15−20 nm was built up with roughly parallel discrete graphene layers. Compared with Pt catalyst supported on Vulcan XC-72, catalyst supported on MCMFs displayed a better CO tolerance and catalytic activity in electrooxidation of methanol at room temperature.