Preparation and applications of precious metals adsorbed activated carbon cloth

Abstract

Precious metal nanoparticles (e.g. Au, Pd and Pt) on activated carbon cloths (ACCs) were simply prepared by impregnation of metal salts dissolving in ethanol solution. Pretreatment of the ACCs was firstly performed in hydrochloric acid solution and nitric acid as oxidizing agent was employed in order to introduce oxygen complex on the ACCs fiber surfaces. Uniformly dispersed metal nanoparticles with diameter of 5-20 nm on the ACC surfaces were simply achieved without using reducing agents. Morphology and composition of the metal adsorbed ACCs were examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Electrolytic activity of metal/ACCs was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV) to demonstrate the electron-transfer properties. Results demonstrate that metals adsorbed ACCs were easily prepared with simple procedures which will be more convenient for preparations and applications. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.