Effect of Ni catalyst dispersion on the growth of carbon nanofibers onto carbon fibers

An effective new technique was developed to help carbon nanofibers (CNFs) grow on carbon fibers (CFs). The Ni catalyst was dispersed via three methods involving the synthesis of CNFs on CF surfaces. We found that high-density CNFs can be prepared by the decomposition of C2H2 on CF surfaces coated with a Ni-doped mesoporous silica film. The mesoporous silica film can direct the growth of CNFs from the CF surfaces when the distribution of Ni catalysts is controlled. The grown capability depends on the catalysts being highly dispersed into molecularly well-defined mesoporous silica structures by complexes of a surfactant with Ni cations. This method is more effective than other methods that involve such tasks as controlling the diameter of the CNFs, enhancing the contact between the CNFs and the CF surface, and eliminating the purification requirement of catalysts. SEM and TEM results indicate that the CNFs with a diameter between 20 and 70 nm grow uniformly and densely on CF surfaces. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.