Chemical and structural modifications of carbon nanofibers with different degrees of graphitic order following oxygen plasma treatments

► The surface functionalization of two carbon nanofibers was performed using microwave−generated oxygen plasma. ► Unlike the wet oxidation, textural properties are practically unchanged for short exposure times. ► Raman spectroscopy shows that the degree of structural disorder increases following plasma exposure. ► TPD and XPS reveal that the incorporation of oxygenated species was successfully accomplished.