Highly fluorinated graphite prepared from graphite fluoride formed using BF3 catalyst

Fluorinated graphites (CF0.47) were obtained by reaction at room temperature of fluorine gas with graphite in the presence of boron trifluoride and hydrogen fluoride as catalysts. Their thermal treatments under fluorine at temperatures up to 600 °C lead to a progressive increase of the fluorine level resulting in an highly fluorinated graphite (CF1.02). Whatever the fluorination level, a stage one fluorine–graphite intercalation compound is obtained. The sp2 carbon hybridization is maintained for treatment temperature below 300 °C and two types of structure coexist for TT in the range 350–550 °C. Finally, above 550 °C, carbon hybridization is sp3. sulting materials were studied by 11B, 1H, and 19F NMR and EPR at different experimental temperatures giving informations about the intercalated fluoride species, the temperature of their removal from the host fluorocarbon matrix, as well as their mobility.