ELECTROCHEMICAL-BEHAVIOR OF OXIDIZED GRAPHITE FIBER ELECTRODES

Graphite fibre felts and cloths were electrochemically oxidized in. su lfuric acid to increase the concentration of surface functional groups . Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the effect of the treatm ent. When oxidation potentials of 2 V or higher were used, the quantit y of surface oxide was increased several orders of magnitude, dependin g on the treatment time. Some physical damage, which night be due to g as evolution, was detected by scanning electronic microscopy. Thermal post-treatment at temperatures higher than 374 K was found to cause de sorption of the electrochemically generated <<oxides>> or their transf ormation into inactive species. Palladium catalysts were dispersed on oxidized materials, anal the effect of the amount of electrochemically generated oxides on palladium surface area was examined.