Novel methods to fabricate macroporous 3D carbon scaffolds and ordered surface mesopores on carbon filaments

Abstract

New methods for fabrication of 3D macroporous carbon scaffolds and synthesis of mesopores on carbon surfaces are proposed. Ordered macroporous filamentary carbon structures were made by rapid prototyping using solvent-based extrusion freeforming which allows the scaffold to be designed on computer and downloaded directly to a building platform. The surface of extruded filaments was decorated with 20-25 nm open mesopores by coating with nano-silica as a hard template followed by pyrolysis and dissolution of the silica. This left an open mesoporous surface to serve as a host for catalysts or enzymes while retaining integrity in the core for electrical and mechanical performance. The combination of these two methods could be used to make different hierarchical, multi-functional carbon structures which could be applied in fuel cells as the catalyst carrier and biofuel cell electrode. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.