Abstract
Considering its availability, renewable character and abundance in nature, this review assesses the opportunity of the application of biomass as a precursor for the production of carbon-based nanostructured materials (CNMs). CNMs are exceptionally shaped nanomaterials that possess distinctive properties, with far-reaching applicability in a number of areas, including the fabrication of sustainable and efficient energy harnessing, conversion and storage devices. This review describes CNM synthesis, properties and modification, focusing on reports using biomass as starting material. Since biomass comprises 60–90% cellulose, the current review takes into account the properties of cellulose. Noting that highly crystalline cellulose poses a difficulty in dissolution, ionic liquids (ILs) are proposed as the solvent system to dissolve the cellulose-containing biomass in generating precursors for the synthesis of CNMs. Preliminary results with cellulose and sugarcane bagasse indicate that ILs can not only be used to make the biomass available in a liquefied form as required for the floating catalyst CVD technique but also to control the heteroatom content and composition in situ for the heteroatom doping of the materials.
Highlights
There has been an increase in technological development, which aims to make life on the planet sustainable
carbon-based nanostructured materials (CNMs) are categorized based on shape, composition and orientation
Large quantities of lignocellulose are produced as residue in agro-processing and forestry activities, which are of little nutritional value, and represent a valuable chemical and material resource
Summary
There has been an increase in technological development, which aims to make life on the planet sustainable. CNMs have been reported, including spheres [12], fibers [13], ribbons [14] and tubes [15] The production of these shaped CNMs is dependent on the starting materials utilized for their synthesis, and the reaction conditions. Materials 2020, 13, 3945 yields different types of CNMs, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) [16] They concluded that the precursor to catalyst ratio determines the product. Li et al [38] reported biomass-derived carbon as the shape controlling agent in tungsten-based nanohybrids synthesis. Application of biomass-derived CNMs in energy devices is reviewed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
