Abstract
This study explores the modification of lignin with surfactants, which can be used as a template to make mesoporous structures, and can also be used in combination with manganese oxide to produce manganese oxide/lignin-derived carbon. Organosolv extraction, using ethanol (70%) at 150 °C, was carried out to extract lignin from oil palm wood. Lignin was then mixed with Pluronic F-127, with and without Mn(NO3)2, and then crosslinked with acidic formaldehyde, resulting in a carbon precursor-based modified lignin. Carbonization was carried out at 900 °C to produce lignin-derived carbon and manganese oxide/lignin-derived carbon. The characterization materials included Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and N2-sorption analysis. FTIR curves displayed the vibration bands of lignin and manganese oxide. SEM images exhibited the different morphological characteristics of carbon from LS120% (lignin with a Pluronic surfactant of 120%) and LS120%Mn20% (lignin with a Pluronic of 120% and Mn oxide of 20%). Carbon LS120% (C-LS120%) showed the highest specific surface area of 1425 m2/g with a mean pore size of 3.14 nm. The largest mean pore size of 5.23 nm with a specific surface area of 922 m2/g was exhibited by carbon LS120%-Mn20% (C-LS120%-Mn20%). C-LS120%Mn20% features two phases of Mn oxide crystals. The highest specific capacitance of 345 F/g was exhibited by C-LS120%-Mn20%.
Highlights
Lignin, one of the carbon precursors with the most potential, can be found contained in biomass [1]
Increasing the temperature of the extraction process increases the amount of extracted lignin that can be obtained, but reduces the molecular weight of the lignin
There were two materials for the kinetic study analysis: lignin with a surfactant addition (120%) named LS120% and a lignin+surfactant+Mn precursor (120% surfactant, and 20%Mn) named LS120%-Mn20%
Summary
One of the carbon precursors with the most potential, can be found contained in biomass [1]. Several methods are used to isolate the lignin from biomass, including organosolv [2], kraft [3], and alkali treatment. Because of its advantageous properties, porous carbon is an important material that is applied in many subject area, such as energy storage [5], purification [6], adsorption [7], and catalysis [8]. An electric double layer capacitor is a supercapacitor, i.e., an electrical storage device, which can use carbon as an electrode, including lignin-derived carbon. Previous research has shown that lignin-derived carbon has a low capacitance, which is caused by small pores, low hydrophilicity, and low specific surface area. Improving its electrochemical properties by modifying the characteristics of porous carbon is an on-going concern
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