Enhanced physical and electrochemical properties of nanostructured carbon nanotubes coated microfibrous carbon paper

We report on the development of highly attractive nanostructured samples derived from three-dimensional microfibrous carbon paper (MFCP) uniformly decorated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). We were able to show that a standard electrochemical oxidation of these 3D-nanostructures, in nitric acid solution, leads to: (i) a remarkable increase of their specific surface area reaching 208 m(2)/g as compared to 71 m(2)/g for the untreated samples, (ii) a reversal in their wettability behavior (from hydrophobic to hydrophilic), and (iii) a significant enhancement of their electrochemical activity. The MWNTs-coated MFCP material is highly promising for supercapacitor applications as it exhibits high capacitance of 165 F/g. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.