Pulse-reverse treatment of carbon nanomaterials for the electrochemical storage of energy

The paper dwells upon the investigation of carbon nanomaterials synthesized by an electric arc-method from methane-air mixture under atmospheric pressure in presence of Ni catalyst. These materials may be used for the electrochemical storage of energy. According to the data of transmission electron microscopy the carbon nanomaterials are generally represented by carbon nanotubes with the diameter of 20-80 nm. The pulse-reverse treatment of carbon nanomaterials in concentrated sulphuric electrolytes with addition of fluoride and lithium ions is carried out to increase their discharge capacity in 1 M H2SO4 and 1 M KOH. The properties of carbon nanomaterials are studied using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, chemical energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, potentiostatic charge method of electrochemical saturation of hydrogen and potentiodynamic discharge method. The maximum discharge capacity of 940 C g?1 in 1 M H2SO4 is revealed for CNMs subjected to pulse-reverse treatment in concentrated sulphuric electrolyte containing fluoride and lithium ions.