Intercalation and exfoliation behavior of carbon fibers during electrolysis in H2SO4 Original Research Article

Electrochemical preparation of intercalation compounds of carbon fibers in sulfuric acid solutions and their exfoliation were studied. Effect of the concentration of sulfuric acid on the intercalation was examined. In low concentration of sulfuric acid solutions, the formation of intercalation compound and subsequent exfoliation were accelerated. By rapid heating at 1000 °C, the residue compounds of carbon fibers formed by electrolysis in 2.3–9.0 mol dm−3 were found to exfoliate and showed marked morphological changes. In high concentration electrolytes, however, the formation of intercalation compounds of carbon fibers and their exfoliation were depressed. The successful intercalation in low concentration electrolytes might be due to oxygen generated by anodic polarization, which resulted in marked exfoliation.