Nanostructured carbon cloth electrode for desalination from aqueous solutions

The electrochemical properties on capacitive deionization (CDI) of carbon cloth in NaCl solution have been investigated. For KOH etched carbon cloth, hydroxyl and carbonyl functional groups have increased significantly, while carboxyl functional group has changed little with etching time. For HNO3 treated carbon surface, carboxyl, carbonyl, and hydroxyl functional groups were produced considerably, and then slightly formed with etching time. From the evaluations of CDI process the carbon cloth electrodes etched in KOH or HNO3 for 3 h represent higher kinetic constants than that for the non-treated carbon cloth.