ELECTROCHEMICAL-BEHAVIOR OF OXIDIZED GRAPHITE FIBER ELECTRODES

Graphite fibre felts and cloths were electrochemically oxidized in. sulfuric acid to increase the concentration of surface functional groups. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the effect of the treatment. When oxidation potentials of 2 V or higher were used, the quantity of surface oxide was increased several orders of magnitude, depending on the treatment time. Some physical damage, which night be due to gas evolution, was detected by scanning electronic microscopy. Thermal post-treatment at temperatures higher than 374 K was found to cause desorption of the electrochemically generated <<oxides>> or their transformation 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.