Mesoporous carbon pipes-suitable materials for photocatalytic supports

Carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and mesoporous carbon structures constitute a new class of carbon nanomaterials with properties that differ significantly from other forms of carbon such as graphite and diamond. The ability to custom synthesize fiber-like mesoporous carbon with attached functional groups has opened up new avenues to design high surface area catalyst supports and materials with high photochemical activity. Unlike the conventional graphite phase, carbon nanostructures possess metallic or semiconductor properties that can induce catalysis by participating directly in the charge transfer process. Further, the photochemical properties of these materials facilitate modulation of their charge transfer properties and aid in the design of photocatalysts for phenol degradation.