FROM CARBON-SUPPORTED CATALYST TO CARBON CERAMIC INTERFACE - USE OF ASA

Former and more recent results of catalyst dispersion on carbon surfaces are discussed in terms of active surface area (ASA) and of surface functional groups. The concept of ASA applied to carbon-supported catalyst is compared to the organic functional groups approach. It is shown that ASA can provide a good understanding of the phenomenon occurring at temperatures higher than 300-degrees-C, (i.e., metal catalysts reduction and sintering) whereas the organic functionality of carbon surfaces is more suitable for describing impregnation or ionic exchange processes. The use of both approaches allows a good understanding of catalyst-carbon support interaction. Application of the ASA concept to the formation of coating by chemical vapor deposition will lead to new developments in the knowledge of interfacial reactivity between carbon and ceramics.