Grafting of activated carbon cloths for selective adsorption

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 370; pp. 522 - 527
• Main Authors: Gineys, M., Benoit, R., Cohaut, N., Bèc)guin, F., Delpeux-Ouldriane, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.05.2016; Elsevier
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Activated carbon cloths; Carbon; Carboxylic functions; Chemical grafting; Chemical Sciences; Cloth; Grafting; Homogeneity; Nanostructure; Secondary ion mass spectrometry; Surface chemistry; ToF-SIMS characterization; Activated carbon cloths; Carboxylic functions; Chemical grafting; ToF-SIMS characterization
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.11.257

•A controlled grafting of carboxylic functions on activated carbon fibers.•The carbon material nanotextural properties preservation after grafting.•An identification of the grafting mechanism through ToF SIMS analysis.•A chemical mapping of the grafted surface using ToF SIMS technique and imaging. Chemical functionalization of an activated carbon cloth with 3-aminophthalic acid and 4-aminobenzoic acid groups by the in situ formation of the corresponding diazonium salt in aqueous acidic solution is reported. The nature and amount of selected functions on an activated carbon surface, in particular the grafted density, were determined by potentiometric titration, elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The nanotextural properties of the modified carbon were explored by gas adsorption. Functionalized activated carbon cloth was obtained at a discrete grafting level while preserving interesting textural properties and a large porous volume. Finally, the grafting homogeneity of the carbon surface and the nature of the chemical bonding were investigated using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) technique.