Reticulated vitreous carbon as an electrode material

The limitations of 2-dimensional electrodes can be overcome by using threedimensional materials having sufficient porosity and active area while offering moderate mass transport rates and a relatively low pressure drop at controlled electrolyte flow rate. In concept, a wide variety of metal, ceramic and composite materials are possible but restrictions are imposed by the need to avoid materials degradation, while maintaining adequate electrical conductivity, sufficient robustness and the possibility of facile scale-up. Despite its fragility, one of the traditional electrode materials used as a porous, 3-dimensional electrode is carbon foam, particularly in the 97% vol. porous form of reticulated vitreous carbon, RVC. A timeline indicates that the history of this material dates back over 50 years to the mid1960s, when it was primarily used as an uncoated material in small-scale, laboratory electroanalysis. Surface modification and diverse coatings have considerably extended the use of RVC. Recent applications are found in sensors and monitors, electrosynthesis, environmental processing and energy conversion. This review highlights the fundamental structure and summarises the physicochemical properties of RVC. Fluid flow through various porosity grades of the material, their active electrochemical area and rates of mass transport are quantified. The diverse applications of RVC in energy conversion, environmental treatment and electrosynthesis are illustrated by selected examples from the authors' laboratories and others over the last 30 years. Recent research on coated RVC, energy conversion environmental remediation and sensors is highlighted. Critical areas deserving further research and development are proposed.

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“…review [6]. Recently, the properties and applications of RVC were considered for hydrogen and oxygen evolution [7].…”

Section: Reticulated Vitreous Carbon (Rvc) Is a Solid Foam Constitutementioning

confidence: 99%

The continued development of reticulated vitreous carbon as a versatile electrode material: Structure, properties and applications

Walsh

Arenas

León

et al. 2016

Electrochimica Acta

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“…Glassy carbon, aerogels, fibre, graphitic felts and pastes are but a few of the more common [1]. Highly orientated pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) offering edge plane (eppg) and basal plane (bppg) morphologies are frequently used to explore the more fundamental side of electron transfer processes but have found increasing application in analytical contexts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These are well known to influence the wettability, surface reactivity, porosity and conductivity of the electrode [1,7,8,10]. It can also have the beneficial effect of increasing the availability of edge sites as a consequence of exfoliation / fracturing process that can, as with eppg electrodes, serve to increase electrode sensitivity towards particular analytes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laser-anodised carbon fibre: Coupled activation and patterning of sensor substrates

Ezekiel¹,

Sharp²,

Villalba³

et al. 2008

Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids

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This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.A c c e p t e d m a n u s c r i p t The oxidation increases the proportion of oxygen species such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl and quinones at the electrode surface [14]. These are well known to influence the wettability, surface reactivity, porosity and conductivity of the electrode [1,7,8,10]. It can also have the beneficial effect of increasing the availability of edge sites as a consequence of exfoliation / fracturing process that can, as with eppg electrodes, serve to increase electrode sensitivity towards particular analytes.Laser patterning of carbon encapsulated composites have been shown to provide a quick and versatile method of producing electrode sensor assemblies but the ability of the laser to positively influence the surface characteristics of the underlying fibre has yet to be evaluated. The adoption of the electrochemical anodisation A c c e p t e d m a n u s c r i p t H.B Ezekiel et al Nottingham Trent University May 20083 approach requires the introduction of a separate/discrete step in the construction of the electrode sensor and it is clear that combining the patterning/activation process would represent a considerable simplification in the development process. In the present investigation, the use of laser ablation as a means of removing protective polymer encapsulants to expose and activate the sensor surface in a single step is assessed. Experimental DetailsElectrochemical measurements were conducted using a µAutolab type III computer controlled potentiostat (Eco-Chemie, Utrecht, The Netherlands) using a three electrode configuration consisting of a glassy carbon working electrode (3mm diameter, BAS Technicol, UK), a platinum wire counter electrode and a 3 M NaCl Ag Electrochemical anodisation of carbon fibres was conducted using the procedures described previously [23,24] and typically involved amperometric oxidation (+2V, 15 minutes) in 0.1M sodium hydroxide solution. Results and DiscussionCarbon fibres were encapsulated within a polyester resin laminate as described in previous work by the authors [23,24]. An electrode window was then created by rastering the laser across a pre-selected area of the polymer-fibre composite. This has the effect of removing the polymer and exposing the fibre which can, in principle, be 4 kinetics at a substrate that is largely basal plane in structure. The voltammogram recorded at the anodised fibre, in contrast, displays a well defined and easily quantifiable oxidation process. The change in profile is dramatic but is in keeping with previous work where electrochemical anodisation...

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“…Due to the slow kinetics of the oxygen reduction and the low solubility of the oxygen in aqueous solution, three dimensional electrodes with a high ratio of surface area to volume in flow cells, have been commonly used in the electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide. Among them, reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) has received special attention [22] with studies again addressing the influence of the pH [6,12], the use of surfactants [6] and the use of mediators [23] to increase the rate of the electron transfer process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide via the reduction of oxygen assisted by power ultrasound

González-Garcı́a

Banks

Šljukić

et al. 2007

Ultrasonics Sonochemistry

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The electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide using the oxygen reduction reaction has been studied in the absence and presence of power ultrasound in a non-optimized sonoelectrochemical flow reactor (20 cm cathodic compartment length with 6.5 cm inner diameter) with reticulated vitreous glassy carbon electrode (30 x 40 x 10 mm, 10 ppi, 7 cm 2 cm -3 ) as the cathode. The effect of several electrochemical operational variables (pH, volumetric flow, potential) and of the sono-electrochemical parameters (ultrasound amplitude and horn-to-electrode distance) on the cumulative concentration of hydrogen peroxide and current efficiency of the electrosynthesis process have been explored. The application of power ultrasound was found to increase both the cumulative concentration of hydrogen peroxide and the current efficiency. The application of ultrasound is therefore a promising approach to the increased efficiency of production of hydrogen peroxide by electro-synthesis, even in the solutions of lower pH (< 12). The results demonstrate the feasibility of at-site-of-use green synthesis of hydrogen peroxide.

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Reticulated vitreous carbon as an electrode material

Cited by 324 publications

References 67 publications

The continued development of reticulated vitreous carbon as a versatile electrode material: Structure, properties and applications

The continued development of reticulated vitreous carbon as a versatile electrode material: Structure, properties and applications

Laser-anodised carbon fibre: Coupled activation and patterning of sensor substrates

Electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide via the reduction of oxygen assisted by power ultrasound

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