Exploring a novel approach to fabricate vanadium carbide encapsulated into carbon nanotube (VC@C) with large specific surface area

摘要

A novel approach to the fabrication of vanadium carbide encapsulated into carbon nanotube (VC@C) core-shell structured composite by thermal treatment with the precursor V₃O₇.H₂O@C was developed for the first time. The as-obtained VC@C were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrum, energydispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT)a€“(IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauera€“Emmetta€“Teller (BET). The results showed that VC@C with core-shell structures could be successfully synthesized at 1000 ?°C for 2 h. The specific surface area, average pore size and measured pore volume of VC@C were 135.46 m2/g, 4.443 nm and 0.180 cm3/g, respectively indicating that the as-obtained VC@C composite could be used as a mesoporous material. Furthermore, thermal behaviour of the as-obtained VC@C composite in air was investigated by thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyser (TG/DTA). The experimental result revealed that the carbon coated on the surface of VC has high activity with O₂ in air atmosphere.