Surface chemistry and catalytic activity in H2O2 decomposition of pyrolytically fluoralkylated activated carbons

According to the proposed pyrolytic method, granular activated carbon (AC) Norit 830 W was functionalized by thermal treatment of AC in hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases, pentafluoroethane and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, at 400–800 °C. This method does not require activation by plasma and photons. Chemical and elemental analysis showed that the pyrolytic treatment provides a loading of 2.95 mmol (5.6 wt%) of fluorine per gram of AC. Nitrogen adsorption measurements indicated that the microporous structure contracted when AC was treated with HFC at temperatures above 400 °C. Thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with attenuated total reflectance (ATR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated the evolution of oxygen-containing and fluorine-containing groups to more thermostable groups with treatment temperature. The fluorine-containing groups grafted at high temperature, above 600 °C exhibited the highest thermal stability up to 1250 °C in dry argon. From the data of XPS and solid-state 19F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy data, the grafted fluorine exists in several types of grafted F-containing groups, the HFC residues. By changing the thermal regime of fluorination, the composition of fluorine-containing groups on a carbon surface can be regulated. Isolated fluoroalkyl groups can be grafted at temperatures of 400–500 °C, while at 600 °C and above, the semi-ionic fluorine groups increase significantly. The hydrophobized surface demonstrated the ability to effectively decompose H2O2 in methanol solutions.