Effects of microfabrication processing on the electrochemistry of carbon nanofiber electrodes

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McKnight, T.E., A.V. Melechko, M.A. Guillorn, V.I. Merkulov, M.J. Doktycz, C.T. Culbertson, S.C. Jacobson, D.H. Lowndes, and M.L. Simpson,
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2003. 107(39): p. 10722-10728.

URL:
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jpcbfk/2003/107/i39/abs/jp034872+.html

 

Abstract:

We describe the fabrication and electrochemical characterization of as-grown and postprocessed vertically aligned carbon nanofiber forest electrodes at macroscopic (5 mm) and microscopic dimensions (250 m). We examine the impact of a variety of microfabrication processes that are typically employed during nanofiber-based device synthesis including refractory metal reactive ion etch, oxide coating and removal, and several oxygen-based etch processes-all of which dramatically impact microscale electrode response. We also demonstrate that the high electrochemically active surface area of larger scale, macroscopic nanofiber forest electrodes can provide a buffering capacity against surface activation/inactivation. Under diffusion-limited transport conditions, this may preserve the electrochemical response of the electrode during storage and against the impacts of processing techniques used during nanofiber-based device fabrication.