Carbon Related Materials Research Articles

High Throughput Quality Control Tools for Carbon-Related Materials: A Raman Approach

Carbon-based materials play a pivotal role in battery technology, serving as negative electrode materials, conductive additives, and coating layers for both positive and negative electrode materials. Traditional characterization methods, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), fall short in providing comprehensive quality control, especially when distinguishing the structure of amorphous carbon materials. Raman spectroscopy as a convenient, simple tool is widely used to study the structure of carbon materials. It provides insights into the degree of crystallization, doping degree, and subtle structural differences arising from various preparation processes. By quantifying Raman spectrum testing results through statistical methods and providing relevant statistical outcomes, we demonstrate the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a quality control method for carbon material characterization. With extensive sample testing and automation, along with standardized spectral data processing and analysis software, we propose Raman spectroscopy as a suitable tool for high-throughput quality control in industrial production.

Preface

Preface Third International Conference on Physics of Materials & Nanotechnology (ICPN-2023) On behalf of Organizing committee, it’s my great pleasure to bring this beautiful collection of research articles which were presented in the Third International Conference on Physics of Materials and Nanotechnology (ICPN-2023) which was organized by Department of Physics, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri, Mangalore (Karnataka), India during September 21st to 23rd, 2023. This conference will serve as an ideal platform for young researchers, academician and students from all over the country as well as from the globe to share their ideas and experiences in Physics, Nanotechnology and Nano science research. This conference provided meaningful platform for young researchers to update and upgrade themselves. The main themes of the conferences Advanced Energy and Solar Materials, 1-D, 2-D and Quantum dot Materials, Advanced Electronic Materials, Polymers, Conducting Polymer and Thin films, Solid State Materials and their properties, Sensors and actuators, Carbon related materials, Metal Oxide & Sulphide Materials, Ferroelectrics and dielectric materials, Soft, Magnetic and smart materials, Nano Material, Nanotechnology, Chemistry of Materials, Alloys, Semiconductor and optical Materials and Crystal growth & applications etc. I am glad that experts in the various field of Nanotechnology are here to present and discussed their ideas and latest development in the field. ICPN 2023 has received a great response throughout the country and globe. It includes 14 invited talks, 11 oral presentations and more than 120 poster presentations. We have received more than 130 papers for the publications in this issue, after reviewing and editing processes, 47 papers were accepted for the publication out of 74 submitted papers. We thank the authors for their contribution and the reviewers for their comments to improve the quality of article. I would like to express my gratitude to all members of organizing committee, staff, research scholars and postgraduate students of the institute for their willingness, commitment, dedication and relentless efforts in ensuring that conference was successful.List of Editorial Board is available in this pdf.

Research of graphdiyne materials applied for electrochemical energy storage

In recent decades, as the world has grappled with the twin challenges of environmental degradation and energy scarcity, the search for sustainable, efficient, and environmentally sound energy technologies has become more urgent than ever. Interest in carbon-based materials has surged in recent years because they are environmentally friendly, abundant, and chemically stable. As an emerging carbon allotrope, graphdiyne (GDY) is a promising candidate for next-generation energy devices due to its unique chemical structure, natural porosity (the pore diameter is 0.542 nm and the layer spacing is 0.365 nm), high conjugation, amazing charge mobility, excellent conductivity, and excellent stability. Here we reviewed the applications of GDY and its derivatives in electrochemical energy storage have been reviewed, including intrinsic GDY (GDY film, GDY with different aggregated morphologies, such as nanotubes, nanowires, and nanostrips), heteroatom doped GDY, GDY composite, and GDY derivates. The preparation strategies of those GDY-based materials and their performances applied in the electrochemical energy storage devices have been compared and discussed. GDY has been reported extensively to show great potential in various energy storage devices including lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), and potassium-ion batteries (KIBs), of which the theoretical capacities are up to 2553 (LIBs), 2006 (SIBs), 1600 (KIBs) mAh/g, respectively. This review covers the latest developments, challenges and prospects of GDY based materials for the applications of various energy storage fields. Hopefully, this paper can provide valuable insights for the research of GDY and related carbon materials in electrochemical energy storage and promote the application of carbon materials.

Glycine Active Sites Analysis from a Geometrical Perspective: A DFT Study.

Density functional theory calculations of 2D materials and biological molecules have been used to evaluate disease progression through biosensing. In this case, a glycine molecule in normal and zwitterionic form was evaluated on its interaction with zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene sheets, and molybdenum disulfide sheets. Glycine was rotated in order to interact with the materials at different active sites. Binding and cohesion energies, band gaps, and charge transfer for the systems were obtained. Binding and cohesion for the interaction between normal glycine and 2D materials result in better outcomes with the presence of a dangling bond using van der Waals correction, giving the more stable results for glycine and carbon nanotubes in the plane ZY and glycine with graphene in the plane YX, respectively. For zwitterion glycine, binding and cohesion energies are better without a dangling bond supported on graphene in the plane ZX. Charge transfer results for normal glycine show a better interaction for glycine and molybdenum disulfide in the plane ZY, while for zwitterion glycine, higher charge transfer is reported in graphene (ZX). Furthermore, the density of states of normal glycine exhibits an improvement in the band gap for carbon related materials (more semiconductor behavior) and a slight decrease in semiconductor behavior for molybdenum disulfide.

Hierarchical porous carbon nanofibers for highly efficient solar-driven water purification

Carbon materials are commonly used in the solar steam generation because they can absorb broadband light and generate heat effectively. However, conventional carbon with a smooth surface is limited by a moderate reflection of approximately 10%, causing significant reflective energy loss. Thus, we proposed a nanoscale multiple interface strategy to boost the intrinsic light absorption of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) for more efficient solar-driven water purification. The multiple interfaces were constructed by introducing hierarchical nanopores in CNFs (HPCNFs) through a facile sacrificial framework method. Owing to the high surface roughness and abundant internal air-dielectric interfaces derived from the hierarchical pores, the HPCNFs show significant improvement in broadband light (300–2500 nm) absorption up to 97.62%, which enables high solar-vapor conversion efficiency of 96.13% and evaporation rate of 1.78 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun illumination, surpassing majority of the related carbon materials. When used for solar steam desalination, the HPCNF film demonstrates high rejection of ions (< 0.05 mg L−1 salt ions) and produces freshwater from the lake at a rate of 11.18 kg m−2 per day, adequate to satisfy the daily needs of 4–5 individuals. This work provides a facile strategy for designing efficient carbon-based solar steam generation materials.

Electromagnetic absorption behavior regulation in bimetallic polyphthalocyanine derived CoFe-alloy/C 0D/2D nanocomposites

Efficient tuning of electrical and magnetic property of a material is of great importance in its functional material design, mechanism understanding, and application expanding. In this work, we propose an efficient strategy for the electromagnetic absorption (EMA) behavior regulation of bimetallic polyphthalocyanine (PPc) derived CoFe-alloy/C nanocomposites. Through the adjusting of calcination temperature and Fe/Co atomic ratio, the microstructure (0D/2D nanocomposite), electrical conductivity, magnetic property, and EMA behavior can be efficiently tuned. After optimization, the efficient absorption bandwidth of CoFe-alloy/C achieves 7.64 GHz, while the maximal absorption gets close to −60 dB, exhibiting superiority to most reported carbon related materials. It is thought that the absorbing mechanism of CoFe-alloy/C is mainly ascribed to the combination of conductance loss, multiple polarization, resonance phenomenon, and hysteresis loss. This research greatly expands the application scope of PPc derivatives, and provides an efficient way to understand the interaction between material and electromagnetic waves.

Facile Synthesis of Battery-Type CuMn2O4 Nanosheet Arrays on Ni Foam as an Efficient Binder-Free Electrode Material for High-Rate Supercapacitors.

The development of battery-type electrode materials with hierarchical nanostructures has recently gained considerable attention in high-rate hybrid supercapacitors. For the first time, in the present study novel hierarchical CuMn2O4 nanosheet arrays (NSAs) nanostructures are developed using a one-step hydrothermal route on a nickel foam substrate and utilized as an enhanced battery-type electrode material for supercapacitors without the need of binders or conducting polymer additives. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques are used to study the phase, structural, and morphological characteristics of the CuMn2O4 electrode. SEM and TEM studies show that CuMn2O4 exhibits a nanosheet array morphology. According to the electrochemical data, CuMn2O4 NSAs give a Faradic battery-type redox activity that differs from the behavior of carbon-related materials (such as activated carbon, reduced graphene oxide, graphene, etc.). The battery-type CuMn2O4 NSAs electrode showed an excellent specific capacity of 125.56 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 with a remarkable rate capability of 84.1%, superb cycling stability of 92.15% over 5000 cycles, good mechanical stability and flexibility, and low internal resistance at the interface of electrode and electrolyte. Due to their excellent electrochemical properties, high-performance CuMn2O4 NSAs-like structures are prospective battery-type electrodes for high-rate supercapacitors.

Enhanced thermoelectric power factor in the Cu2Se system by the incorporation of GO/MWCNT

The current study examines the transport capabilities of the thermoelectric material of copper selenide (Cu2Se), and its GO (Graphene oxide)/MWCNT (Multi-Walled Carbon Nano Tubes) nanocomposites synthesized using a cost-effective and straightforward chemical reduction method followed by a simple mechanical grinding process. Raman spectra, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopymicrographs, High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy images, and the X- Ray Diffraction peak intensity of the all composites showed the existence of GO/MWCNT in the as-prepared samples. The power factor rose with the addition of GO/MWCNT, reaching maximum values of 881μ W/mK2 and 1120μ W/mK2 at 450 °C for Cu2Se-GO and Cu2Se-MWCNT, respectively. According to the findings, the highest thermopower of the Cu2Se-MWCNT composite was around 90 % greater (almost double) than that of bare Cu2Se. This article outlines an efficient and inexpensive process for producing carbon-related thermoelectric composite materials and a viable technique for increasing the power factor to enhance synergistic thermoelectric performance.

Synthesis of high-quality vertical graphene nanowalls on metal foams and their applications in EMI shielding

Due to the development of high-frequency electronic devices, electromagnetic pollution has attracted global attention. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with low thickness, improved EMI shielding performance and lightweight are highly required for protecting the devices. Metal foams (MFs) and carbon-related materials have been successfully applied in EMI shielding. Herein, by utilizing the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method, high-quality vertical graphene nanowalls (VGNs) were prepared on Cu foam (CF) and Ni foam (NF) substrates. The combination of porous VGNs and MFs significantly improved their electrical conductivity, thus their EMI shielding performance was enhanced. The electrical conductivity of the VGNs/CF films could reach 4.81 × 106 S·m-1, increased by 15.3 % compared with the pristine CF films. At a frequency range of 8.2–12.4 GHz, the EMI shielding effectiveness values of VGNs/CF films with a thickness of ∼ 120 µm could reach 81.7 dB, increased by 25.9% compared with the pristine CF films. The VGNs/MF composite films with preferable EMI shielding effectiveness provide a new possibility for developing high-performance EMI shielding materials.

Synthesis and characterization of SbSI modified g-C3N4 composite for photocatalytic and energy storage applications

Two dimensional carbon related materials with superior charge separation and excellent transport properties have been highly used in the field of photocatalytic and electrochemical applications. The hydrothermally synthesized antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) doped g-C3N4 composite (CSI) has excellent charge storage and charge transport properties. The physio-chemical properties of the synthesized SbSI doped g-C3N4 materials are examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform-infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ultraviolet-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) techniques. The photocatalytic examination of the synthesized catalyst materials is carried out in presence of visible light irradiation using Rhodamine B (RhB), Bromophenol blue (BPB) and mixed dye effluents. The synthesized photocatalyst material CSI shows excellent photocatalytic activity of 94%, 80% and 92% against BPB, RhB and mixed dye effluent and the stability of the prepared material was 95% even after four consecutive photocatalytic performances. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the synthesized CSI composite is examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) investigations. The synthesized composite material depicts good specific capacitance of 212 F/g at 0.5 A/g current density and retains 96% of the stability after 1000 consecutive GCD performance. The experimental finding confirms that the CSI composites have enhanced photocatalytic and electrochemical performance than the synthesized SbSI and g-C3N4 materials.

Carbon-Related Materials: Graphene and Carbon Nanotubes in Semiconductor Applications and Design.

As the scaling technology in the silicon-based semiconductor industry is approaching physical limits, it is necessary to search for proper materials to be utilized as alternatives for nanoscale devices and technologies. On the other hand, carbon-related nanomaterials have attracted so much attention from a vast variety of research and industry groups due to the outstanding electrical, optical, mechanical and thermal characteristics. Such materials have been used in a variety of devices in microelectronics. In particular, graphene and carbon nanotubes are extraordinarily favorable substances in the literature. Hence, investigation of carbon-related nanomaterials and nanostructures in different ranges of applications in science, technology and engineering is mandatory. This paper reviews the basics, advantages, drawbacks and investigates the recent progress and advances of such materials in micro and nanoelectronics, optoelectronics and biotechnology.

A novel route to constructing high-efficiency lithium sulfur batteries with spent graphite as the sulfur host

The recovery treatment of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is becoming increasingly crucial, and it is of the utmost urgency to recycle spent graphite. Carbon materials are gaining more and more attention for applications in lithium-sulfur batteries acting as the sulfur (S) hosts with excellent theoretical capacity. However, the preparation of related carbon materials is energy-consuming and tedious. Herein, by directly using spent graphite (SG) from the spent LIBs without complex treatment as a substrate, a SG/S cathode has been prepared for lithium-sulfur batteries for the first time. Repeated charge/discharge cycles bring the SG surface not only rich functional polar groups, but also metal elements like Ni, Co and Mn through the dissolution of active cathode materials (in LIBs). These factors increase the conductivity, and efficiently promote the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) conversion kinetics in a way that the SG effectively adsorbs and fixes LiPS to reduce the shuttle effect in lithium sulfur batteries. Additionally, the SG/S cathode with high sulfur content of 78.4% has obtained an initial discharge capacity of 1377 mAh g−1 at the rate of 0.2 C with an excellent cycling stability. Even after 500 cycles, the cathode specific capacity remains as high as 765 mAh g−1 with a low average decay rate (0.006% per cycle) at 0.5 C. This work not only realizes the re-utilization of spent graphite, but also fabricates lithium-sulfur batteries with excellent electrochemical performances.

Frontispiece: Ultrafast Electrochemical Capacitors with Carbon Related Materials as Electrodes for AC Line Filtering

New electronic devices require high-frequency responsive electrochemical capacitors, and the appreciable capacitance density and a fast rate capability, which depend greatly on the electrode material. For more details of the latest advances in the design and controllable fabrication of carbon-related electrode materials, such as planar 2D, random 3D, and vertical carbon materials, see the Concept by S. Xu, M. Wu, and J. Zhang (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202200237).

Advances in preparation, mechanism and applications of various carbon materials in environmental applications: A review

Carbon-related materials are now widely investigated in a various industrial field due to their excellent and unique qualities. It must be tailored to the application in such a way that it fits the application. At the same time, it needs to be generated in sufficient quantities for commercial use, and the synthesis method is the major sticking point here. Because most new materials are discovered by chance, the synthesis process described here may not be the most effective way to create them. The research is merely a steppingstone to discovering a different approach, and it will continue until the substance is no longer being used. If you're developing materials for any purpose, synthesis processes are essential. Fullerene, carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene, and MXene are only a few of the carbon-based compounds discussed in this overview study, which also gives a brief prognosis on the materials future. Furthermore, the environmental application of these carbon materials was discussed and commented.

Ultrafast Electrochemical Capacitors with Carbon Related Materials as Electrodes for AC Line Filtering.

High-frequency responsive electrochemical capacitors (ECs), which can directly convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), are getting more essential for the rapid development of electronic devices. In order to satisfy the requirements of ECs with fast rate capability and appreciable capacitance density, numerous efforts have been made towards the preparation and design of the electrode material, which is a decisive factor in the performance of ECs. Carbon-related electrode materials have been widely shown to significantly increase the performance of ECs because of their light weight, high strength, and high processability. In this concept, the latest advances in the rational design and controllable fabrication of carbon-related electrode materials, including planar 2D materials, random 3D, and vertical carbon materials are summarized. Moreover, the state of the art of carbon-based ECs is discussed from the viewpoint of the structure of the electrode and performance of ECs. Finally, this concept presents integrated perspectives on the further design and preparation of carbon related ECs.

Monitoring flame soot maturity by variable temperature Raman spectroscopy

Flame-formed soot nanoparticles are known to possess different nanostructures as a function of a large variety of combustion operative parameters, including particle residence time in flames, flame stoichiometry, fuel chemical composition, temperature and pressure. This implies that important properties (e.g., soot oxidation reactivity, optical and electronic gap) may be different depending on the way soot particles are generated. Hence, it is beneficial to develop diagnostic methods that are sensitive to such differences among the various kinds of soot particles. In this work we investigate by off-line variable-temperature Raman spectroscopy two types of soot particles, namely just-nucleated and aged/mature particles, with a different size and maturity degree. The results obtained for soot particles have been compared and discussed with those found for other related carbon materials. As the Raman spectra are recorded at increasing sample temperature, from 300 to 525 K, both soots display a linear downshift of the position of the two main Raman modes (D and G bands). Just-nucleated soot particles exhibit the strongest temperature dependence of the position of the G band. Based on results from density functional theory calculations, interpreted by a simple empirical model, the observed temperature coefficient differences can be ascribed to differences in the nanostructural order of the two soot samples, which causes a different thermal expansion behavior.

Automated Image Analysis for Single-Atom Detection in Catalytic Materials by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Single-atom catalytic sites may have existed in all supported transition metal catalysts since their first application. Yet, interest in the design of single-atom heterogeneous catalysts (SACs) only really grew when advances in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) permitted direct confirmation of metal site isolation. While atomic-resolution imaging remains a central characterization tool, poor statistical significance, reproducibility, and interoperability limit its scope for deriving robust characteristics about these frontier catalytic materials. Here, we introduce a customized deep-learning method for automated atom detection in image analysis, a rate-limiting step toward high-throughput TEM. Platinum atoms stabilized on a functionalized carbon support with a challenging irregular three-dimensional morphology serve as a practically relevant test system with promising scope in thermo- and electrochemical applications. The model detects over 20,000 atomic positions for the statistical analysis of important properties for establishing structure-performance relations over nanostructured catalysts, like the surface density, proximity, clustering extent, and dispersion uniformity of supported metal species. Good performance obtained on direct application of the model to an iron SAC based on carbon nitride demonstrates its generalizability for single-atom detection on carbon-related materials. The approach establishes a route to integrate artificial intelligence into routine TEM workflows. It accelerates image processing times by orders of magnitude and reduces human bias by providing an uncertainty analysis that is not readily quantifiable in manual atom identification, improving standardization and scalability.

Adhesion of Amorphous Carbon Nanofilms on Ferrous Alloy Substrates Using a Nanoscale Silicon Interlayer: Implications for Solid-State Lubrication

The low adhesion of amorphous carbon (a-C) films on ferrous alloys has restricted massive industrial application since their development, restricting application to mechanical and electromechanical components. Although different mechanisms have been raised to describe the a-C film adhesion, the chemical affinity and the role of oxygen at the interfaces are the key issue. Nevertheless, a quantitative approach considering the oxygen adsorption and the adhesion strength/base pressure relationship is still not proposed, which would be of special interest in industry. In this study, we analyze the influence of the base pressure on the adhesion of amorphous carbon (a-C) films onto a ferrous alloy intermediated by a nanometric silicon interlayer. The different base pressure deposition resulted in different adhesion of the films. By means of structural and chemical techniques, the oxygen content at the interfaces was quantified and correlated with the base pressure before thin film deposition. We propose a quantitative physicochemical model that correlates the a-C film adhesion with oxygen located at the interfaces, which is indirect evidence of its previous presence in the deposition chamber, as a fraction of the residual gases from the base pressure. As adhesion depends on oxygen content, we used the Langmuir isothermal law to evaluate this dependence with good agreement. This model may be of potential interest in plasma surface engineering and process automatization not only for carbon-related materials deposited on metals, mainly in its potential use as a solid lubricant.

Untying the Bundles of Solution‐Synthesized Graphene Nanoribbons for Highly Capacitive Micro‐Supercapacitors

AbstractThe precise bottom‐up synthesis of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with controlled width and edge structures may compensate for graphene's limitations, such as the absence of an electronic bandgap. At the same time, GNRs maintain graphene's unique lattice structure in one dimension and provide more open‐edge structures compared to graphene, thus allowing faster ion diffusion, which makes GNRs highly promising for energy storage systems. However, the current solution‐synthesized GNRs suffer from severe aggregation due to the strong π–π interactions, which limits their potential applications. Thus, it is indispensable to develop a facile and scalable approach to exfoliate the GNRs from the postsynthetic aggregates, yielding individual nanoribbons. Here, a high‐shear‐mixing approach is demonstrated to untie the GNR bundles into practically individual GNRs, by introducing suitable molecular interactions. The micro‐supercapacitor (MSC) electrode based on solution‐processed GNR film exhibits an excellent volumetric capacitance of 355 F cm−3 and a high power density of 550 W cm−3, reaching the state‐of‐the‐art performance of graphene and related carbon materials, and thus demonstrating the great potential of GNRs as electrode materials for future energy storage.

Carbon Nanostructures, Nanolayers, and Their Composites.

The versatility of the arrangement of C atoms with the formation of different allotropes and phases has led to the discovery of several new structures with unique properties. Carbon nanomaterials are currently very attractive nanomaterials due to their unique physical, chemical, and biological properties. One of these is the development of superconductivity, for example, in graphite intercalated superconductors, single-walled carbon nanotubes, B-doped diamond, etc. Not only various forms of carbon materials but also carbon-related materials have aroused extraordinary theoretical and experimental interest. Hybrid carbon materials are good candidates for high current densities at low applied electric fields due to their negative electron affinity. The right combination of two different nanostructures, CNF or carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles, has led to some very interesting sensors with applications in electrochemical biosensors, biomolecules, and pharmaceutical compounds. Carbon materials have a number of unique properties. In order to increase their potential application and applicability in different industries and under different conditions, they are often combined with other types of material (most often polymers or metals). The resulting composite materials have significantly improved properties.