Structure control at the nanoscale in fluorinated graphitized carbon blacks through the fluorination route

Two synthesis ways were applied to fluorination of a novel nano-sized graphitized carbon black: (i) direct fluorination (under a flux of pure molecular fluorine) and (ii) controlled fluorination by TbF4 thermal decomposition. The thermal, electrochemical and tribologic properties of the various fluorinated nanocarbons obtained have been investigated. Fluorinated compounds produced by means of controlled fluorination present higher thermal stability and better tribologic properties than those obtained using direct fluorination. On the other hand, the study of the electrochemical performances as electrode material in primary lithium battery underlines that the direct fluorination is more efficient than the controlled way taking into account the energy and power densities. Each fluorination way leads to specific mechanisms of covalent grafting of fluorine atoms onto nanocarbons. These mechanisms have been studied by deep physical–chemical characterizations by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with 13C and 19F nuclei in order to determine the CF bond nature, the structure and textural properties of the fluorocarbon compounds.