Carbon-Iron Microfibrous Material Produced by Thermal Treatment of Self-rolled Poly（4-vinyl pyridine） Films Loaded by Fe2O3 Particles

Ensembles of freeze-dried self-rolled polymer micro-scrolls are explored as template media for producing carbon–iron based composites with fibrous morphology. Polymer fibres impregnated with furfuryl alcohol and loaded with Fe2O3 particles, were thermally treated under inert atmosphere at 700 °C and subsequently analysed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction,thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption. The resulting material has a micro-fibrous morphology and is basically composed of metallic Fe0 and FeO particles, i.e., more than 98 wt% of the carbon/iron-based composite mass. These particles are held together by amorphous porous carbon foam obtained by in-situ carbonization of the polymer/Fe2O3 composite with evacuation of carbon from the system via COx gases released by carbo-reduction of Fe2O3. The material has significant activity in the reaction of catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in water solutions.