Real-time X-ray diffraction study of concentration profiles in CuCl2-intercalated graphite during deintercalation Original Research Article

Deintercalation of CuCl2-intercalated graphite has been studied under two different conditions: during exposure to ambient air and to boiling water. The real-time X-ray powder diffraction method was used to follow the diffusion-controlled deintercalation reaction. The estimation of the phase composition at any time during the reaction enabled us to visualize the development of concentration profiles in the disk-shaped particles of intercalate during the deintercalation. The detailed analysis of the diffraction line profiles the line positions revealed differences and also common features of the concentration gradients established by decomposition in ambient air and in boiling water. Conclusions concerning the mechanism of deintercalation and staging phase transitions based on the present experimental results are compared with the theoretical predictions.