Ultrahigh-Surface-Area Metallic Electrodes by Templated Electroless Deposition on Functionalized Carbon Nanofiber Scaffolds

Electroless deposition of gold onto chemically functionalized carbon nanofibers leads to high-density nucleation of metal nanoparticles. These eventually form a highly textured coating, encapsulation the nanofibers. The gold-coated nanofibers show interfacial capacitances more than 10 times higher than those of the bare carbon nanofibers and 100 times larger than those of planar surfaces.