Electrophoretic Deposition for the Growth of Carbon nanofibers on Ni-Cu/C-fiber Textiles

In this study, Ni, Ni-Cu and Ni/Cu catalysts were deposited onto C-fiber textiles via the electrophoretic deposition method, and the growth characteristics of carbon nanofibers on the deposited catalyst/C-fiber textiles were investigated. The catalyst deposition onto C-fiber textiles was accomplished by immersing the C-fiber textiles into Ni or Ni-Cu mixed solutions, producing the substrate by post-deposition of Ni onto C-fiber textiles with pre-deposited Cu, and passing it through a gas mixture of $N_2$, $H_2$ and $C_2H_4$ at $700^{\circ}C$ to synthesize carbon nanofibers. For analysis of the characteristics of the synthesized carbon nanofibers and the deposition pattern of catalysts, SEM, EDS, BET, XRD, Raman and XPS analysis were conducted. It was found that the amount of catalyst deposited and the ratio of Ni deposition in the Ni-Cu mixed solution increased with an increasing voltage for electrophoretic deposition. In the case of post-deposition of Ni catalyst onto substrates with pre-deposited Cu, both bimetallic catalyst and carbon nanofibers with a high level of crystallizability were produced. Carbon nanofibers yielded with the catalyst prepared in Ni and Ni-Cu mixed solutions showed a Y-shaped morphology.