Graphite, surface groups

Nitrophenyl groups covalently bonded to classy carbon and graphite surfaces have been detected and characterized by unenhanced Raman spectroscopy in combination with voltammetry and XPS [4.292]. Difference spectra from glassy carbon with and without nitrophenyl modification contained several Raman bands from the nitrophenyl group with a comparatively large signal-to-noise ratio (Fig. 4.58). Electrochemical modification of the adsorbed monolayer was observed spectrally, because this led to clear changes in the Raman spectrum. 

The lowest wettable surface known = 6 dyne/cm) is a monolayer of perfluoro-launc acid on platinum, whose surface is made up of closely packed CF3 groups [20] Fluonnated graphite, (C2FJ and (CF) , also have surface tensions approachmg 6 dyne/cm [21] Perfluorinated materials, however, are not required tor low surface energies only the outermost surface groups must be perfluorinated [20, 22]... 

In 1975, the fabrication of a chiral electrode by permanent attachment of amino acid residues to pendant groups on a graphite surface was reported At the same time, stimulated by the development of bonded phases on silica and aluminia surfaces the first example of derivatized metal surfaces for use as chemically modified electrodes was presented. A silanization technique was used for covalently binding redox species to hydroxy groups of SnOj or Pt surfaces. Before that time, some successful attemps to create electrode surfaces with deliberate chemical properties made use of specific adsorption techniques... 

For NGF, the loss of capacity is much higher (approximately 68%) than the loss of graphite active mass (approximately 2.5%). Thus, for this type of graphite the corrosion mechanisms (4) and (5) with formation of surface groups may be considered predominant. 

Figure 15. KFM images obtained from the PVDF-bonded composite made from (a) the as-received SFG50 graphite and from (b) the surface-modified SFG50 graphite. Reprinted from S.-B. Lee and S.-I. Pyun, Determination of the morphology of surface groups formed and PVDF-binder materials dispersed on graphite composite electrodes in terms of fractal geometry, J Electroanal. Chem. 556, p. 75, Copyright 2003, with permission from Elsevier Science.

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