Carbon nanofibers decorated with poly(furfuryl alcohol)-derived carbon nanoparticles and tetraethylorthosilicate-derived silica nanoparticles.

The present paper introduces a novel method to functionalize nanofiber surfaces with carbon or silica nanoparticles by dip coating. This novel approach holds promise of significant benefits because dip coating of electrospun and carbonized nanofiber mats in poly(furfuryl alcohol) (abbreviated as PFA) is used to increase surface roughness by means of PFA-derived carbon nanoparticles produced at the fiber surface. Also, dip coating in tetraethylorthosilicate (abbreviated as TEOS) is shown to be an effective method for decorating carbon nanofibers with TEOS-derived silica nanoparticles at their surface. Furthermore, dip coating is an inexpensive technique which is easier to implement than the existing methods of nanofiber decoration with silica nanoparticles and results in a higher loading capacity. Carbon nanofiber mats with PFA- or TEOS-decorated surfaces hold promise of becoming the effective electrodes in fuel cells, Li-ion batteries and storage devices.