Biomass-derived Porous Carbon Research Articles

One-Step Synthesis of NiCo-LDH@Ni(OH)2 Heterostructure Foams on Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have attracted much attention as pseudocapacitor supercapacitor electrodes because of their high theoretical specific capacity. However, LDHs have drawbacks such as poor electrical conductivity, and their specific capacities are lower than the theoretical values. In this work, NNCLDH@OPC electrodes are constructed via in situ synthesis of heterostructure foams (NNCLDH) consisting of NiCo-LDH and Ni(OH)2 on pomelo peel-derived porous carbon (OPC) through a one-step solvothermal method using ZIF-67 as a template. Owing to the synergistic effect of the 3D nanofoam structure and the multicomponent heterostructure as well as the conductive porous carbon support, the NNCLDH/OPC exhibited ultrahigh electrochemical performance as well as excellent cycling stability: a specific capacity of 3290 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and a capacitance retention of 77.8% after 4000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g-1. In addition, the assembled NNCLDH@OPC//OPC asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) has a maximum energy density of 51Wh kg-1 with a power density of 812W kg-1 and a maximum power density of 16kW kg-1 at a current density of 20 A g-1. These results demonstrate the significant application potential of NNCLDH/OPC composites in supercapacitor electrodes.

Polymerization of redox-active alizarin in biomass porous carbon with enhanced cycling stability for supercapacitor

Redox-active organic molecules have optimistic application prospects in energy storage due to their high theoretical capacitance, designable electrochemical activity and environmental friendliness. However, low conductivity and solubility in electrolyte severely hinder their redox activity. Here, alizarin molecules containing carbonyl and phenolic hydroxyl are encapsulated in biomass-derived porous carbon, and stable alizarin polymers are further grown on porous carbon substrate by electrochemical polymerization. Porous carbon as conductive network can improve electron transport properties, and provide suitable accommodation environment for confinement and polymerization of alizarin. The electrochemical polymerization strategy on carbon substrate allows alizarin to be connected by rigid C-O-C bond, which inhibits the dissolution of organic monomers while maintaining redox activity. The optimized polyalizarin/porous carbon composite (PAZ/PC-0.5) exhibits superior charge storage performance, with a specific capacitance of 355.8 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 220.8 F g−1 at high current density of 30 A g−1. Moreover, PAZ/PC electrode has more durable long-term charge-discharge stability (capacitance retention is 98 % after 10,000 charge and discharge cycles). The assembled symmetrical supercapacitor exhibits excellent energy-power characteristics (21.4 Wh kg−1 at 700 W kg−1) and durable cycle stability. This work sheds light on the design of stable organic electrode towards high-performance supercapacitor.

Activated biomass-derived 3-dimensional porous graphene-like carbon for high-performance energy storage electrode materials

This article reports studies on the fabrication of active material for supercapacitor electrodes, from 3D porous graphene-like carbon (GLC), synthesized by carbonization from coffee waste (CW) and tea waste (TW) at 550 °C, followed by thermochemical activation in KOH at 850 °C in a quartz tubular furnace. The microstructure of coffee and tea waste shows the form of micro- and mesopores during carbonization and further chemical activation forms hierarchically highly porous 3D graphene-like carbon. GLC-CW exhibited a higher specific surface area (SSA) of 3486 m2/g according to the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, compared to GLC-TW, which had an SSA of 2407 m2/g. These results highlight the effectiveness of graphene-like carbon derived from coffee and tea waste, demonstrating its potential as a promising material for high-capacity supercapacitors. The electrochemical characteristics of the assembled supercapacitors using GLC-CW and GLC-TW revealed significantly higher specific capacitance values of 214 F/g and 182 F/g respectively, along with cycling stability of 98 % and 95 % during 5000 cycles of charge and discharge at 2 A/g current density. This approach can produce high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors at a reasonable cost and with easy scalability.

Green synthesis of renewable biomass-derived porous carbon hosts for superior aqueous zinc-iodine batteries

Green synthesis of renewable biomass-derived porous carbon hosts for superior aqueous zinc-iodine batteries

Synthesis of biomass-derived porous carbon functionalized with polyionic liquids and electrochemical sensing detection of bisphenol A

Synthesis of biomass-derived porous carbon functionalized with polyionic liquids and electrochemical sensing detection of bisphenol A

The synergistic effects on the magnetic CoNi and Fe3O4 nanoparticles co-embedded porous carbon toward enhanced microwave absorbing performance

Abstract Lightweight and environmentally friendly three-dimensional biomass-derived porous carbon (3D BPC) holds great potential as a highly effective material for microwave absorption (MA) applications. However, the high complex permittivity and lack of magnetic loss in a single 3D BPC lead to impedance mismatching and a limited absorption bandwidth. Developing 3D BPC–based absorbers with multiple loss mechanisms and excellent impedance matching remains a notable yet challenging task. In this study, inspired by a synergistic composition and microstructure design, 3D BPC co-embedded with magnetic cobalt–nickel (CoNi) and iron(III) oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (3D BPC@CoNi@Fe3O4) was developed. 3D BPC@CoNi@Fe3O4 exhibited consistently low complex permittivity, primarily due to the suppression of conductive loss, whereas the introduction of magnetic phases (CoNi and Fe3O4) enhanced the magnetic loss. Optimised impedance matching, achieved through the synergistic regulation of the electromagnetic parameters, emerged as the key mechanism for improving the MA properties. The as-synthesised 3D BPC@CoNi@Fe3O4 composite, with only 20 wt.% loading demonstrated a wide effective absorption bandwidth (reflection loss [RL] < −10 dB) of 6.08 GHz and an impressive minimum RL value of −40.08 dB. These findings offer valuable insights into the development of high-performance 3D BPC–based microwave absorbers through composition and microstructure optimisation.

Porous biochar production from microwave pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse biomass with KOH addition

ABSTRACT Biomass-based porous carbons have diverse structures and typically exhibit good multifunctionality. Therefore, compared to direct combustion, using pyrolysis to convert agricultural waste into biochar is an environmentally friendly and effective treatment method. Preparing biomass-derived porous carbon materials (PCMs) through microwave is challenging, as biomass rarely absorbs microwave energy and necessitates the inclusion of additional microwave absorbers. In this study, a silicon carbide crucible was designed to simplify the microwave pyrolysis process, and sugarcane bagasse-based porous carbon (GZKM) was prepared using a microwave pyrolysis coupled with KOH activation method without adding additional microwave absorbers. A detailed study was conducted on the yield, surface morphology, and pore structure of biochar obtained from different temperatures (700, 750, 800, 850, and 900 °C) and different mass ratios of sugarcane bagasse to KOH (0, 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2). The results indicated that as the pyrolysis temperature and KOH addition increased, the yield of biochar gradually decreased from a highest value of 31.41 wt% to a lowest value of 11.8 wt%. The specific surface area (SBET) of GZKM initially increased and then decreased with the increase in pyrolysis temperature and KOH mass, reaching a maximum value of 889.41 m2/g. The results of this study can provide guidance for the reuse of sugarcane bagasse and the preparation of porous biochar, and can also be applied in fields such as electrocatalysts, batteries, biomedical materials, and wastewater treatment.

In situ composite of biomass derived carbon/porous carbon nitride and its enhanced performance in solar-driven photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Converting waste organic biomass into functional carbon materials is regarded as a sustainable development strategy to address environmental pollution and energy crisis. In this work, carbon/porous carbon nitride (PCN) composite photothermal catalysts were prepared via an in-situ method with urea and phragmites spikelets as raw materials for the solar-driven hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The biomass derived porous carbon, in close contact with PCN, not only acts as a charge transfer bridge facilitating the rapid separation and migration of photogenerated charges but also serves as a photothermal carrier to enhance the kinetic process of the photocatalytic reaction. Under simulated solar irradiation (AM 1.5 G), the optimal HER rate of the composite catalyst is 4.98 mmol g−1h−1, which is 2.1 times that of pure PCN. The physicochemical properties of the materials, including morphology, crystal structure, elemental composition and state, and energy band characteristics, were determined. Additionally, theoretical calculations were employed to explore the impact of biomass-derived porous carbon on the electronic structure and band structure of carbon nitride. This work not only broadens the range of raw materials for biomass-derived porous carbon but also provides a novel strategy for promoting photocatalytic HER through synergistic multifield effects, showing broad application prospects in the field of resource recovery and green catalysis.

Biomass-derived N-doping porous carbon spheres by N2 plasma for lithium-ion batteries

Biomass-derived N-doping porous carbon spheres by N2 plasma for lithium-ion batteries

Lignin-derived Fe–N–C electrocatalyst with 3D porous structure for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Developing low-cost, high-performance oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is crucial for the commercialization of fuel cells and zinc-air batteries. Herein, we report a lignin-derived Fe/N co-doped 3D porous carbon electrocatalyst Fe-NLC-1 as an alternative to commercial Pt/C catalysts, which was synthesized by a green and facile in situ carbonization strategy. Fe-NLC-1 exhibits higher oxygen reduction activity with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.90 V vs. RHE than commercial 20 wt% Pt/C (E1/2 = 0.85 V) in the alkaline conditions, as well as excellent methanol tolerance and stability. Furthermore, the Zn-air battery loaded with Fe-NLC-1 exhibits a maximum power density of 125 mW cm−2, an open circuit voltage of 1.477 V, and stable discharge performance, which are comparable or even better than the commercial Pt/C. This study highlights the potential of biomass-derived porous carbon materials for the development of high-performance ORR electrocatalysts.

Synthesis of rice husk derived porous carbon as low-cost and high-performance electrode material for supercapacitors

Porous carbon electrode materials derived from agricultural by-products of food processing have attracted widespread interest. Rice husk (RH) is a promising raw material owing to its abundance and low price. In this study, a supercapacitor electrode was prepared by using recycled RH and secondarily activated with ZnCl2 to enhance its electrochemical energy storage performance. RH carbonized at the optimum temperature (i.e., 800 °C) was activated to synthesize RH-800-X (X = 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, representing the mass ratio of ZnCl2 to RH-800). Sample RH-800-3 exhibited the highest specific surface area (1348.29 m2 g−1) and mesoporous pore volume (0.8375 cm3 g−1) among the samples. In a three-electrode system, the prepared electrodes delivered a high specific capacitance (242 F g−1 at 0.3 A g−1 in 6 M KOH solution). Furthermore, the capacitance retention of RH-800-3 remained at 99.9 % after 17,000 charge/discharge cycles. The results demonstrate the excellent capacitive behavior and superior electrochemical performance of RH-800-3. In addition, symmetrical capacitors prepared using RH-800-3 have an energy density of up to 101 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 900 W kg−1. Therefore, this study presents a simple and effective method for preparing a high-performance electrode material from biomass-derived porous carbon (i.e., recycled RH) and offers a new perspective for the efficient utilization of waste biomass resources.

Phase change material composites based on 3D lignin-derived porous carbon prepared by in-situ activation for efficient solar-driven energy conversion and storage

Utilization of three-dimensional biomass-derived porous carbons can effectively address issues of easy leakage, low thermal conductivity, and weak photothermal conversion of phase change materials (PCMs). This enables the production of high-performance composites for solar-induced energy collection, conversion, and storage. In this study, hierarchical lignin-derived porous carbon (HLPC), microporous lignin-derived porous carbon (MILPC) and mesoporous lignin-derived porous carbon (MELPC) were prepared through high-temperature in-situ activation using lignosulphonate (LS) as a carbon precursor and CaCO3, KOH and ZnCO3 as activators. Carbon-based PCM composites with high performance were obtained by encapsulating paraffin wax (PW) in porous carbon supports. Results demonstrated that PW/HLPC exhibited comprehensive performance superior to other tested PW composites owing to its higher specific surface area (2,358 m2/g), larger pore volume (1.1 cm3/g) and well-interconnected framework structure. Additionally, PW/HLPC displayed relatively high latent heat (123.4 kJ/kg), photothermal conversion and storage efficiency (95 %), and photoelectric conversion performance (174.5 mV). Moreover, PW/HLPC also showed better leak-proof properties at 90 °C. The cycling stability and photothermal conversion performance of PW/HLPC were superior to those of the selected crude biochar-based PW composites. This study highlights the advantages of the prepared PW/HLPC for both the high-value utilization of lignin and its practical applications in solar-induced energy harvest, conversion, and storage.

Recent Advances in Functionalized Biomass-Derived Porous Carbons and their Composites for Hybrid Ion Capacitors.

Hybrid ion capacitors (HICs) have aroused extreme interest due to their combined characteristics of energy and power densities. The performance of HICs lies hidden in the electrode materials used for the construction of battery and supercapacitor components. The hunt is always on to locate the best material in terms of cost-effectiveness and overall optimized performance characteristics. Functionalized biomass-derived porous carbons (FBPCs) possess exquisite features including easy synthesis, wide availability, high surface area, large pore volume, tunable pore size, surface functional groups, a wide range of morphologies, and high thermal and chemical stability. FBPCs have found immense use as cathode, anode and dual electrode materials for HICs in the recent literature. The current review is designed around two main concepts which include the synthesis and properties of FBPCs followed by their utilization in various types of HICs. Among monovalent HICs, lithium, sodium, and potassium, are given comprehensive attention, whereas zinc is the only multivalent HIC that is focused upon due to corresponding literature availability. Special attention is also provided to the critical factors that govern the performance of HICs. The review concludes by providing feasible directions for future research in various aspects of FBPCs and their utilization in HICs.

A flexible solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor device comprising cobalt hydroxide and biomass-derived porous carbon.

Development in the field of alternative and renewable energy sources is becoming necessary considering the current energy demands of the growing technologies. The main challenge associated with the produced energy is to store it for future use, such that it can be used when needed. Supercapacitors are among the electrochemical energy storage systems that provides higher power density, faster charging-discharging, high specific capacitance (C S), and long cycling life. Herein, the fabrication of a flexible solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device is reported, where Co(OH)2 hollow spheres and biomass-derived porous carbon (PC) are the cathode and anode, respectively. Co(OH)2 is a highly redox active material, whereas PC is an electric double-layer capacitive (EDLC) material. In this device, aqueous KOH solution (electrolyte) encapsulated in PVA gel (separator) was used to bind the electrodes. This Co(OH)2//PC ASC device exhibited a high C S of 260 F g-1 (at 2 A g-1). It retained ∼91% of the initial C S value (at 6 A g-1) till ∼5000 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study confirmed low internal resistance (0.95 Ω) and charge transfer resistance (1.41 Ω) values of Co(OH)2//PC. These results indicate that the high electron transfer process in the electrode-electrolyte interface during the electrochemical reaction, which is responsible for the excellent performance of this ASC device. The high-performance Co(OH)2//PC ASC device exhibited an energy density of 76.7 W h kg-1 at a power density of 1416.9 W kg-1. To demonstrate its practical use, LED lights were illuminated using this Co(OH)2//PC ASC device.

Biomass nanostructure: Cattail leaves derived-porous carbon with high electrochemical performance for Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors

Biomass-derived porous carbon possesses several advantageous characteristics, such as low cost, inherent properties, and a controllable structure, making it an ideal electrode material for Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZIHSs). In this investigation, we used cattail leaves (CLs) as the carbon source and employed carbonization and activation techniques to fabricate porous carbon. We aimed to explore the correlation between the morphology, oxygen content, and defects in porous carbon derived from CLs under varying K2CO3 ratios. Remarkably, when the K2CO3/carbon ratio was adjusted to 2:1, the resulting porous carbon from CLs exhibited outstanding electrochemical performance in ZIHSs. These ZIHSs, functioning in an aqueous electrolyte, displayed impressive rate capability, achieving 158.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and 60.2 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1, along with a high energy density of 119.5 Wh kg−1. Furthermore, they exhibited exceptional long-term durability with nearly 100 % coulombic efficiency over 10,000 cycles. Additionally, a quasi-solid-state ZIHSs device demonstrated satisfactory specific capacity (148.54 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1) and maintained stability under various orientations. The abundant, renewable, and cost-efficient biomass-derived carbon obtained in this study serves as a valuable guide for the development of portable energy storage devices that are both low in cost and high in performance, thereby contributing to sustainable energy solutions.

The Impact of Biomass-Derived Graphene-like Porous Carbon Decorated with NiO Nanoparticles on the Electrochemical Performance of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries are considered a promising next-generation energy storage system, boasting high theoretical capacity and energy density, approximately double that of LiBs [1,2]. However, challenges such as low sulfur conductivity, significant volume expansion during cycling, and the lithium polysulfides shuttle effect hinder their practical use [3]. These issues result in side reactions, irreversible loss of active material, and anode degradation, leading to a rapid decline in cell capacity stability [4].In this research, we successfully developed a sulfur cathode carbon matrix and separator modifier from rice husk through carbonization and thermal activation. The resulting graphene-like porous carbon (GPC) exhibited high efficiency as a sulfur host, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the cathode. The GPC-NiO composite also served effectively as a separator modifier, catalyzing lithium polysulfides' redox reactions and improving the overall cycling stability of lithium-sulfur batteries. In particular, the GPC@S/GPC-NiO-20 cell demonstrated an excellent initial discharge capacity of 1519 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C. Also, it delivered excellent long-term cycling, maintaining a discharge capacity of 661 mAh g-1 even after 400 cycles at 1 C, with a Coulombic efficiency exceeding 97%. It exhibited a promising rate capability of 568 mAh g-1 at 2 C and retained a discharge capacity of 603 mAh g-1 over 100 cycles at 0.2 C with a sulfur loading of 4.0 mg cm-2. Acknowledgments This research is funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. AP19677708).

Systematic study of the N concentration effects on metal-free ORR electrocatalysts derived from corncob: Less is more

We report nitrogen-doped biomass-derived porous carbon materials with great performance for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) in alkaline media. The level of nitrogen doping in a simple pyrolysis of corncob (CC) was varied systematically, a 1:1 CC:urea ratio (CC1U) gave the best performance in terms of onset potential (Eonset = 0.97 V vs. RHE), maximum current density (jmax = -3.22 mA cm−2), hydroperoxide ion yield (%HO2– = 1.18 % at 0.5 V), and electron transfer number (n = 3.86 at 0.5 V). Unexpectedly, for higher CC:urea ratios the doping decreases, instead of plateauing, with lower concentration of C-N sites and more sp2 sites as determined by XPS, as well as lower specific surface area (SSA), while increasing both porosity and carbon (002) interplanar distance (d(002)). These materials should be durable and robust, since their performance actually improved after accelerated degradation tests. This study proves that renewable “waste” can be upconverted into metal-free electrocatalysts for electrochemical energy conversion technologies and emphasizes the need for studying and controlling doping levels to enhance performance.

Pyrolytic conversion of Mesua ferrea testa to nitrogen-doped porous carbon for supercapacitor applications

Developing a high energy density supercapacitor is of great challenge due to the low surface area of commercial activated carbon. The present work aims at developing highly porous nitrogen-doped porous carbon from biomass for supercapacitors. Herein, Mesua ferrea (Nahor) shells, a widely available biomass in northeast India, was used to prepare porous carbon. The effect of activation temperature on structural, textural properties, and electrochemical performance is studied. The carbonization temperature highly influenced the pore structure, porosity, surface area, and thereby influencing the electrochemical performance. The porous carbon pyrolyzed at 700 °C delivered a high specific capacitance of 210 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, higher than porous carbon made at higher temperature (27.5 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 for carbon pyrolyzed at 800 °C). The results provide insights that will be of use in the development of high-energy-density capacitors employing biomass-derived porous carbon.

Efficient CO2 removal enabled by N, S co-doped hierarchical porous carbon derived from sustainable lignin

Biomass-derived heteroatoms-doped hierarchical porous carbon materials are highly regarded as promising CO2 adsorbents. However, these materials cannot simultaneously exhibit advanced porosity, high yield, and high heteroatom content. Herein, a series of N, S co-doped hierarchical porous carbons with advanced porosity (narrow micropore: 0.37–0.42 cm3/g), high heteroatom content (N content: 8.54 at% and 8.87 wt% and S content: 0.86 at% and 1.73 wt%) and remarkable yield (57.12–69.13 wt%) was produced using lignin as the raw material via a synergistic strategy involving melamine modification and CuCl2 activation. Notably, melamine modification not only introduced mesopores, but also promoted the effect of CuCl2 activation to generate additional micropores. Importantly, the advanced porosity required a low dosage of CuCl2. The optimized adsorbent (NHPC-850) exhibits outstanding CO2 adsorption capacity (6.87 mmol/g at 273 K and 100 kPa, 3.57 mmol/g at 303 K and 100 kPa), a moderately high heat of adsorption (34.7 kJ/mol), and an extraordinary CO2/N2 selectivity (132 at 273 K/81 at 303 K). These excellent properties are attributed to the well-developed micropores and suitable mesopores of carbon materials, as well as rich nitrogen and sulfur functionality in the carbon structure. Collectively, this work offers new insights into a simple and easy-to-scale strategy for the preparation of biomass-derived N, S co-doped hierarchical porous carbon.

Encapsulating Selenium into Biomass-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon As the Cathode for Sodium–Selenium and Potassium–Selenium Batteries

Encapsulating Selenium into Biomass-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon As the Cathode for Sodium–Selenium and Potassium–Selenium Batteries