INVESTIGATION OF SORPTION BY AN ELECTRODE DEPOSIT

The electrode deposit obtained at a.c. and d.c. are discharge on the a node or cathode is mechanically stiff and contains a large diversity o f carbon structures of a fullerene nature with different forms and siz es. Gaps of various sizes separate the structures. The large surface a rea of the carbon structures, their locations with respect to each oth er and the large porosity of some of the structures, allow us to consi der the material as promising in sorption and catalysis. The ability t o reduce the amorphous phase carbon found within the deposit is discus sed with the aim of seeking to increase the effective surface area and activation ability of the fullerene type carbon structures. The adsor ption properties of the electrode deposit were investigated. A complet e desorption was observed. Information was gained with regard to the c yclic sorption properties of the fullerene material under investigatio n. A narrow adsorbate fraction was employed in vapor adsorption studie s for 11 organic compounds. The nature of adsorption for different cla sses of compounds was studied and the application of this material in organic compound gas chromatographic separation is discussed. It was f ound that when a fullerene type deposit is used as a sorbent, the rete ntion volumes (V-g) for the organic compounds under investigation were significantly smaller than those manifested for carbon black material and hence the efficiency in column use is higher. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience Ltd.