Catalyst-free, low-temperature growth of high-surface area carbon nanoflakes on carbon cloth

We have used a microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system to synthesize two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) structures of carbon nanoflakes (CNFs). This catalyst-free, low-temperature synthesis involved introducing CO2 and CH4 as reactants at a specified ratio of 2:3. We obtained uniform 2D arrays of CNFs at lower microwave powers (200 or 300 W) and substrate temperatures (up to 420 °C); their thickness was close to 1 μm. At a microwave power of 400 W, we obtained a 3D architecture comprising the smallest nanoflakes reported to date. The specific surface area of the 3D structure was double that of the corresponding 2D arrays. We suspect that such structured carbon materials might have great potential for energy storage applications.