Platinum reactions with carbon coatings produced by high temperature chlorination of silicon carbide

Highly disordered graphitic carbon layers were formed on various types of c ommercially available silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics by reaction with chlor ine and chlorine-hydrogen gas mixtures at 1000 degreesC. The carbon was pro duced ranging from only a few micrometers to hundreds of micrometers thick. When a platinum sample holder was employed (instead of fused silica) plati num was found dispersed in the carbon layer concentrated near the SiC/C int erface. This process can be used for incorporating platinum in porous carbo n films for catalytic and other applications. In addition, the platinum res ulted in a smoother physical interface between the SiC and carbon sublayer. The morphology of the platinum dispersion, its effect on the carbon layer, and its proposed formation mechanism are presented in this paper. (C) 2001 The Electrochemical Society.