The textural and chemical changes in ACFs with E-beam and their influence on the detection of nerve agent simulant gases

The textural (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)/density functional theory (DFT) surface energy) and chemical (oxygen-containing functional groups) properties of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) according to the electron-beam (E-beam) dose were investigated, and their dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) gas sensing ability was tested. The E-beam attacked the basal plane in ACFs and generated additional lattice defects. The E-beam-irradiated ACFs exhibited a 22.2% change in resistance when upon exposure to DMMP gas. After E-beam irradiation, the surface energy of the ACFs increased because of increased roughness and oxygen-containing functional group content. As a result, the number of active sites capable of detecting DMMP increased, and the sensitivity increased. (C) 2019 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.