KSEF RDE: Nanoscopic topology of carbon surface during oxidation

Recent theoretical and experimental results about elementary processes involved in graphene oxidation have started to reveal the true microscopic nature of the oxidation of carbon, which is essentially formed of graphene. These results open new exciting points of view and will trigger fast and significant advances in oxidation models. Applications such as carbon based Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) for Hypersonic and Reentry spacecraft, or in Coal Gasification Technologies for Carbon Capture are just some examples of technologies that rely on carbon oxidation models and will be greatly impacted by these advances. The goal of this project is to, incorporating these new results, develop an accurate and reliable model for the carbon oxidation. This effort will also greatly benefit from very recent and significant advances in the visualization with high magnification microscopy of the oxidation process. The evolution of microscopic topology of the carbon surface during its oxidation is imaged in experiments, already performed and also projected, using Scattering (SEM) and Transmission (TEM) Electron microscopy. The results are being instrumental in uncovering the actual microscopic nature of oxidation. These two aspects, namely elementary processes and surface topology, both at a molecular level, are lacking in current carbon oxidation models. These are mostly phenomenological, and based on measurements in specific experimental conditions and with specific types of materials. They are limited therefore to the specific conditions and materials that have been used to obtain the experimental data. Thus, their accuracy is uncertain when used in different conditions. These disadvantages will be removed in our model, because carbon materials, regardless their nature, share the same oxidation mechanism at the molecular scale. It will be therefore generally applicable.