Synthesis and structure of carbon belts made of carbon nanofibers supported on carbon foams

Two-dimensional carbon belts (CBs) made of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) supported on a carbon foam (CFoam) substrate have been synthesized by a procedure involving carbonization of polyamic acid (PAA)/Ni(NO3)2 solution impregnated polyurethane foam in flowing H2 at 700 °C and catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) using C2H4 as a carbon source and SO2 as a promoter. The CBs, which are hundreds of micrometers in length, several micrometers in width and tens of nanometers in thickness, are made of CNFs with a low degree of graphitization that array with an orientation roughly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the CBs. The results show that the mass ratio of Ni to PAA, a H2 atmosphere in carbonization and SO2 in CCVD process are the three key factors governing the growth of the CBs.