Processing, growth mechanism and thermodynamic calculations of carbon foam with a hollow tetrapodal morphology - Aerographite

Aerographite is a 3D interconnected carbon foam with a tetrapodal morphology. The synthesis of Aerographite is based on a two-step process: first the production of a zinc oxide (ZnO) template in a flame transport synthesis (FTS) followed by the replication into the carbon structure in a chemical vapour deposition process (CVD). This study presents a growth model of this 3D carbon foam via analyzing the newly formed carbon structure in an interrupted synthesis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the Gibbs free energy of the occurred replica CVD (rCVD) process, based on the reduction of ZnO and the formation of carbon layers, was calculated. During the CVD process the injected carbon deposits on the surfaces of the ZnO tetrapods, while simultaneously the replication into the carbon structure takes place, as a result of the reduction of ZnO into gaseous zinc and water vapour, which is due to the reaction of ZnO with the hydrogen (H-2) from the injected source. This replication of the ZnO template into a carbon structure is based on an epitaxial controlled process combined with a catalytic graphitization, whereby the morphology of the template structure is replicated by the carbon. Furthermore, the influence of the growth process on the arrangement of carbon in layers and formation of defects was explained.