Processing Methods Used in the Fabrication of Macrostructures Containing 1D Carbon Nanomaterials for Catalysis

Abstract

A large number of methodologies for fabrication of 1D carbon nanomaterials have been developed in the past few years and are extensively described in the literature. However, for many applications, and in particular in catalysis, a translation of the materials to a macro-structured form is often required towards their use in practical operation conditions. This review intends to describe the available methods currently used for fabrication of such macro-structures, either already applied or with potential for application in the fabrication of macro-structured catalysts containing 1D carbon nanomaterials. A review of the processing methods used in the fabrication of macrostructures containing 1D sp2 hybridized carbon nanomaterials is presented. The carbon nanomaterials here discussed include single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and several types of carbon nanofibers (fishbone, platelet, stacked cup, etc.). As the processing methods used in the fabrication of the macrostructures are generally very similar for any of the carbon nanotubes or nanofibers due to their similar chemical nature (constituted by stacked ordered graphene planes), the review aggregates all under the carbon nanofiber (CNF) moniker. The review is divided into methods where the CNFs are synthesized already in the form of a macrostructure (in situ methods) or where the CNFs are previously synthesized and then further processed into the desired macrostructures (ex situ methods). We highlight in particular the advantages of each approach, including a (non-exhaustive) description of methods commonly described for in situ and ex situ preparation of the catalytic macro-structures. The review proposes methods useful in the preparation of catalytic structures, and thus a number of techniques are left out which are used in the fabrication of CNF-containing structures with no exposure of the carbon materials to reactants due to, for example, complete coverage of the CNF. During the description of the methodologies, several different macrostructures are described. A brief overview of the potential applications of such structures in catalysis is also offered herein, together with a short description of the catalytic potential of CNFs in general.

Carbon and Cellulose-Based Nanoparticle-Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposites: A Critical Review

“…Due to the measurement of the carbon fiber morphology, the dispersion of carbon fibers in a polymer matrix requires additional attention when compared with that of conventional carbon fibers in composites. A technique for scattering the carbon fibers in a thermoplastic resin is slurry preparation, including fiber arrangement, mixing the slurry with nano-powder, depleting the appropriate response and drying, and, finally, heating over a glass transition temperature [165][166][167]. On account of a thermosetting polymer, for example, epoxy, the scattering of fibers induces the weakening of the interface into a dissolvable state, and this serves as an approach to bring down the consistency and resulting blending of the fiber with the matrix [168,169].…”

“…In a standard evaluation, the surface of the sample is assaulted by a strategy for a primary molecule at a low thickness, basically intended to confine the change of the model surface by considering enlightenment. The surface produces nanoparticles, which might be examined with the use of a mass analyzer [95,166]. The delayed consequences of explicit evaluation give the compound its structure and create layers around the surface [162].…”

Advances in Electrospun Hybrid Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications

“…Here, these properties can influence cell proliferation, adhesion, toxicity, and growth behavior while minimizing a negative effect on cell growth [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Therefore, effectively capturing those physiological and structural requirements requires optimization of a range of complex electrospinning parameters and demand the use of materials with tailored properties [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Production of valuable chemicals from glycerol using carbon fiber catalysts derived from ethylene

“…CNFs have been successfully used as catalysts, catalyst supports, electrodes for fuel cell devices, in nanocomposites, or in hydrogen storage systems 29 , 30 for many years. In our previous work, we presented results of the quantitative studies regarding the formation of CNFs from ethylene 31 .…”