Different reactivity of carbon materials for intercalation of iron chloride in its nitromethane solution

Host effect on the intercalation of iron chloride(III) in its nitoromethane (NM) solution was investigated by using host carbons heat-treated at different temperatures, cokes with random orientation and pyrolytic carbons with planar one. Cokes heat-treated below 1900°C were not intercalated even in high concentration solution of FeCl3 (4.8 M). The reactivity of cokes heat-treated above 2100°C was found to be strongly dependent on the concentration of FeCl3 in the solution; the less crystallized coke needed the higher concentration of FeCl3 to be intercalated, and the smaller stage number of resultant intercalation compound from the coke heat-treated at a temperature was obtained in the higher concentration of solution. On the other hand, pyrolytic carbons behaved quite differently; all of them could react even in the 0.6 M solution of FeCl3, where any cokes did not react, to give the same stage-3 structure independent on the crystallinity. These different reactivities of hosts for the intercalation of FeCl3 in NM were discussed by comparing with those for other intercalations as reported previously.