Porous Carbon Nanostructures Research Articles

Nanocellulose‐Based Interfacial Solar Evaporator: Integrating Sustainable Materials and Micro‐/Nano‐Architectures for Solar Desalination

AbstractClean‐water harvesting through solar interfacial evaporation technology has recently emerged as a strategy for resolving global water scarcity. In this study, rapid carbon‐dioxide‐laser‐induced carbonization and facile ice‐templating is employed to construct a cellulose‐based solar evaporator bearing a hybrid multi‐layer micro‐/nano‐architecture (i.e., a laser‐induced carbon (LC) nanostructure and a cellulose aerogel (CA) nano/microstructure). The LC exhibits a light‐absorbing/photothermal nanoporous carbon structure that offers high light absorption and multiple light scattering. Additionally, the CA exhibits numerous nanopores and unidirectional microchannels that facilitate rapid water transport via capillary action. This hybrid LC/CA micro‐/nano‐architecture enabled rapid vapor generation with an average water evaporation rate (ν) of 1.62 kg m−2 h−1 and an evaporation efficiency (η) of 66.6%. To further enhance the evaporation performance, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer is coated onto the side of the LC/CA evaporator to increase its floatability in the simulated water; ν and η of the PDMS‐coated LC/CA evaporator (LC/CA/PDMS) increased to 1.9 kg m−2 h−1 and 83.8%, respectively. Additionally, the LC/CA/PDMS evaporator exhibited a high ν value of 1.68 kg m−2 h−1 in simulated seawater, originating from excellent resistance to salt accumulation via its self‐cleaning ability. Furthermore, the solar evaporator exhibited scalability for fabrication as well as biodegradable properties.

Molecular simulation using transfer-learned potentials for the disordered nanoscale structure of nitrogen-doped nanoporous carbons

Machine learning (ML)-based molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the formation of a class of N-doped nanoporous carbons are performed to assess their disordered partially graphitized nanoscale structure. The study is motivated by the effectiveness of so-called nitrogen assembly carbons (NACs) for catalysis applications. Benchmark simulations for pure-C disordered graphitic systems reveal the importance of reliably capturing the vdW component of the potentials in order to accurately describe the tendency for layering of disordered graphene-like sheets. In our modeling, this is achieved by a transfer learning strategy incorporating features of the energetics from the optB88-vdW DFT functional into potentials initially trained with a less expensive functional, thereby providing a superior description of the pure-C systems. Generation from MD simulations of realistic partially graphitized structures is significantly more challenging for N-doped versus for pure C systems. However, such structures are achieved by a tailored MD simulation protocol mimicking the experimental synthesis process and in particular incorporating an annealing and subsequent quenching stages. Simulated PXRD patterns effectively reproduce the features of experimental observations for NACs, including the appearance of a prominent but broad (002) peak at around 25∘, and the development of another weaker feature associated with in-layer ordering of mixed C-N graphene-like sheets.

Multiple Heteroatom Doped Nanoporous Biocarbon for Supercapacitor and Zinc-ion Capacitor.

The use of nanoporous carbon for energy storage has seen a significant rise due to its exciting properties such as high surface area, hierarchical porosity and exceptional electrochemical properties. These unique advantages of exceptional surface and electrochemical properties of these porous carbon nanostructures can be coupled with the individual doping of heteroatoms such as S, N, O, and B for achieving high energy storage capacity and stability. Herein, we integrated the synthesis of carbon nitride (CN) and borocarbonitride (BCN) with solid state activation for introducing multiple heteroatoms (B, N, O, and S) onto the nanoporous carbon frameworks. The produced materials exhibit abundance of micro and mesoporosity, a high surface area of 2909 m2 g-1, and a pore volume of 0.87 cm3 g-1. Also, it offers an exceptional capacitance of 233.5 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 with 3 M KOH as electrolyte. Further, the optimised material was explored as cathode in zinc ion capacitor which delivers an energy and power density of 50.4 Wh kg-1 and 400 W kg-1 respectively in addition to high cyclability. Studies on the formation of the intermediate phases during charging/discharging of the cell through ex situ characterization result in some useful insights into the stability of ZIC.

Engineering a Hierarchy of Disorder: A New Route to Synthesize High-Performance 3D Nanoporous All-Carbon Materials*.

A new nanoporous amorphous carbon (NAC) structure that achieves both ultrahigh strength and high electrical conductivity, which are usually incompatible in porous materials is reported. By using modified spark plasma sintering, three amorphous carbon phases with different atomic bonding configurations are created. The composite consisted of an amorphous sp2-carbon matrix mixed with amorphous sp3-carbon and amorphous graphitic motif. NAC structure has an isotropic electrical conductivity of up to 12000Sm-1, Young's modulus of up to ≈5GPa, and Vickers hardness of over 900MPa. These properties are superior to those of existing conductive nanoporous materials. Direct investigation of the multiscale structure of this material through transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and machine learning-based electron tomography revealed that the origin of the remarkable material properties is the well-organized sp2/sp3 amorphous carbon phases with a core-shell-like architecture, where the sp3-rich carbon forms a resilient core surrounded by a conductive sp2-rich layer. This research not only introduces novel materials with exceptional properties but also opens new opportunities for exploring amorphous structures and designing high-performance materials.

Pure Hydrogen and Methane Permeation in Carbon-Based Nanoporous Membranes: Adsorption Isotherms and Permeation Experiments.

This paper presents the results of adsorption and permeation experiments of hydrogen and methane at elevated temperatures on a carbon-based nanoporous membrane material provided by Fraunhofer IKTS. The adsorption of pure components was measured between 90 °C and 120°C and pressures up to 45 bar. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm shows the best fit for all data points. Compared to available adsorption isotherms of H2 and CH4 on carbon, the adsorption on the investigated nanoporous carbon structures is significantly lower. Single-component permeation experiments were conducted on membranes at temperatures up to 220 °C. After combining the experimental results with a Maxwell-Stefan surface diffusion model, Maxwell-Stefan surface diffusion coefficients Dis were calculated. The calculated values are in line with an empirical model and thus can be used in future multi-component modeling approaches in order to better analyze and design a membrane system. The published adsorption data fill a gap in the available adsorption data for CH4 and H2.

Self-Catalyzed Synthesis of Length-Controlled One-Dimensional Nickel Oxide@N-Doped Porous Carbon Nanostructures from Metal Ion Modified Nitrogen Heterocycles for Efficient Lithium Storage.

Transition metal oxides with the merits of high theoretical capacities, natural abundance, low cost, and environmental benignity have been regarded as a promising anodic material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the severe volume expansion upon cycling and poor conductivity limit their cycling stability and rate capability. To address this issue, NiO embedded and N-doped porous carbon nanorods (NiO@NCNR) and nanotubes (NiO@NCNT) are synthesized by the metal-catalyzed graphitization and nitridization of monocrystalline Ni(II)-triazole coordinated framework and Ni(II)/melamine mixture, respectively, and the following oxidation in air. When applied as an anodic material for LIBs, the NiO@NCNR and NiO@NCNT hybrids exhibit a decent capacity of 895/832 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1, high rate capability of 484/467 mA h g-1 at 5.0 A g-1, and good long-term cycling stability of 663/634 mA h g-1 at 600th cycle at 1 A g-1, which are much better than those of NiO@carbon black (CB) control sample (701, 214, and 223 mA h g-1). The remarkable electrochemical properties benefit from the advanced nanoarchitecture of NiO@NCNR and NiO@NCNT, which offers a length-controlled one-dimensional porous carbon nanoarchitecture for effective e-/Li+ transport, affords a flexible carbon skeleton for spatial confinement, and forms abundant nanocavities for stress buffering and structure reinforcement during discharge/charging processes. The rational structural design and synthesis may pave a way for exploring advanced metal oxide based anodic materials for next-generation LIBs.

Elevating Lithium-Sulfur Battery Durability through Samarium Oxide/Ketjen Black Modified Separator.

Lithium-sulfur batteries have garnered significant attention as a promising next-generation battery technology due to their potential for high energy density. However, their practical application is hampered by slow reaction kinetics and the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfide intermediates. In this context, the authors introduce a pioneering solution in the form of a novel porous carbon nanostructure modified with samarium oxide, denoted as Sm2O3/KB. The material has a highly polar surface, allowing lithium polysulfide to be chemisorbed efficiently. The unsaturated sites provided by the oxygen vacancies of Sm2O3 promote Li2S nucleation, lowering the reaction energy barrier and accelerating Li2S dissolution. The porous structure of Ketjen Black provides a highly conductive channel for electron transport and effectively traps polysulfides. Meanwhile, the batteries with Sm2O3/KB/PP spacers exhibited remarkable electrochemical performances, including a low-capacity decay rate of only 0.046 % for 1000 cycles at 2 C and an excellent multiplicative performance of 624 mAh g-1 at 3 C. This work opens up a new avenue for the potential use of rare-earth-based materials in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Engineering the growth and electrochemical assessments of phosphorous-doped nitrogen-based carbon nanofibers with 3D-interconnected weaving network structure for high-energy symmetric supercapacitors

The growing demand for sustainable energy sources has led to a change in attention towards developing cost-effective, high-performance energy storage devices. The construction of porous carbon network nanostructures with high surface area is complex for current-generation supercapacitors, mainly due to molecular flexibility and carbon production constraints. This work successfully produced a porous carbon nanostructure by doping phosphorous into nitrogen-based carbon nanofibers (P-doped NCNFs) utilizing a simple and controllable approach. This process entailed electrospinning diammonium hydrogen phosphate and polyacrylonitrile, subsequent high-temperature carbonization, and substantial segmented hydrogen peroxide activation processes. The P-doped NCNFs had a notable surface area of 100.69 m2 g−1, characterized by a distinct 3D-interconnected weaving network morphology. The 1 % P-doped NCNFs exhibited an exceptionally high capacitance of 265 ± 2 F g−1 when tested in a three-electrode setup at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. In addition, the constructed symmetrical supercapacitors with two identical P-doped NCNFs using a neutral Na2SO4 electrolyte exhibited remarkable electrochemical characteristics, which include a substantial capacitance of 225 ± 2 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1, a high energy density of 30.9 Wh kg−1, an excellent Coulombic efficiency of 98.8 % over 6000 cycles, an impressive power density of 250 W kg−1, and significant capacitance retention of 85.6 %. These findings suggest that P-doped NCNFs could be excellent options for next-generation high-performance supercapacitors.

Tailoring a hierarchical porous carbon electrode from carbon black via 3D diatomite morphology control for enhanced electrochemical performance.

Carbon black, a nano-porous material usually derived from the pyrolysis of waste tyres possesses varied particle sizes and morphology making it a viable material for several engineering applications. However, the high tendency for CB to agglomerate remains a challenge. To address this, bio-templating has been employed to produce a nanostructured porous carbon electrode material for supercapacitor applications using diatomite as a template. Diatomite-synthesized activated carbon (DSAC) was fabricated through a three-step process involving acid treatment of diatomite, thermal activation of carbon black, and bio-template synthesis. The resulting material was thoroughly characterized using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, BET analysis, and SEM imaging. Its electrochemical properties were assessed through cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The DSAC material exhibited a high specific surface area of 266.867 m2 g-1, pore volume of 0.6606 cm3 g-1, and mean pore radius of 1.8943 nm. The electrochemical evaluation revealed that DSAC demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance, achieving a high specific capacitance of 630.18 F g-1 and retaining 94.29% capacitance after 5000 cycles at 1 A g-1. The DSAC electrode is eco-friendly and a promising candidate for supercapacitor applications.

Top-Down Thickness Reduction Synthesis of Biomass-Derived Carbon Nanosheets with Hierarchical Pore Structure for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Carbon electrode materials with superior rate performance are highly demanded in application scenarios of high power output/input, especially when paired with organic electrolyte for extended voltage window and high energy storage. By extracting thin sheets of entangled cellulose fibers from cell wall structures, porous carbon nanosheets as templated from the cellulose sheets are synthesized. Evident thickness reduction effect has been demonstrated with thickness reduced from several micrometers to several nanometers of the obtained thickness-reduced activated carbon nanosheets (TRAC), which endow the material with a large surface area and high pore volume. The obtained TRAC exhibits significantly enhanced ion diffusion kinetics and superior rate capability thanks to the shortened diffusion pathway and suitable pore size distribution. Effects of sonication time have also been investigated, showing a trade-off between ion diffusion kinetics and pseudocapacitive contribution. This thickness-reduction method is extendable to many other biomass sources as cellulose sheets are widely existed in nature, offering a practical and easy-to-implement strategy of fabricating porous carbon nanostructures for efficient energy storage and utilization.

Facile Synthesis of Hierarchically Porous Ni-N-C for Efficient CO2 Electroreduction to CO.

The reasonable design of atomically dispersed Ni-Nx sites in porous carbon nanostructures is an efficient strategy to enhance the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) catalytic activity. In this work, atomically dispersed Ni-Nx sites on hierarchically porous carbon catalysts (HP-Ni-NC) were fabricated by a facile NaCl template-assisted pyrolysis method. The catalysts exhibit a large specific surface area and a hierarchical porous structure, facilitating the exposure of numerous active sites and the mass/electron transport during the CO2RR. Consequently, the CO Faradaic efficiency maintained over 90% in a wide potential window on the optimized HP-Ni-NC-2 catalyst. The CO partial current achieved 15.2 mA cm-2 at -0.9 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode) in a H-cell. Furthermore, the current density can achieve 250 mA cm-2 at a cell voltage of 3.11 V in a membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer, demonstrating great promise for commercial-scale application. This study presents a facile approach to synthesizing hierarchically porous structure single-atom catalysts with superior catalytic performance toward CO2RR.

Nanostructured NiCo2O4 embedded on biowaste derived hierarchical porous activated carbon for high performance symmetric and asymmetric supercapacitor device

Hybrid supercapacitors have received much more limelight due to its enhanced specific capacitance and energy density without altering power density than their individual components. In present study, Nickel cobaltite nanostructures are embedded on the activated carbon using dip dry method followed by chemical bath deposition. The activated carbon was prepared from the sustainable and low cost bio waste precursor; Terminalia catappa leaves. The effect of mass ratio of activated carbon and nickel cobaltite on the electrochemical performance of Nickel cobaltite/activated carbon composite thin films has been studied successfully. An optimized NCO-C20 thin electrode showed specific capacitance of 1387.4 F/g at 1 mA/cm2 and excellent rate capability of 90 % (5 mA/cm2). It delivered energy density of 29.30 Wh/kg at a power density of 162.5 W/kg and exhibited cyclic stability of 97.6 % over 5000 cycles. Practical feasibility of NiCo2O4/activated carbon composite electrode was demonstrated by fabricating all solid state symmetric and asymmetric device. As fabricated symmetric device (NCO-C20//NCO-C20) possess specific capacitance of 112.7 F/g and energy density of 22.55 Wh/kg at a power density of 937.6 W/kg at 5 mA/cm2. The asymmetric device (NCO-C20//AC) exhibited specific capacitance of 64.16 F/g and energy density of 28.87 Wh/kg at power density of 1800 W/kg at 6 mA/cm2. Asymmetric device showed outstanding cyclic stability of 80 % after 5000 CV cycles. The results manifests that composite thin films prepared from biomass derived porous carbon and NiCo2O4 nanostructure can make it noteworthy electrode material for energy storage applications.

Activation of functionalized graphene oxide incorporated poly acrylonitrile nanofibers for producing highly porous carbon nanostructures

Porous carbon materials, including activated carbon nanofibers (ACNFs), have wide applications in the fields of recycling, separation, storage, drug delivery, etc. due to their high surface area and high porosity. On the other hand, the combination of these materials with graphene structures may have a synergistic effect on the properties of the product for the target application. In the present research, polyacrylonitrile nanofibers containing different percentages of synthesized graphene oxide, functionalized by chlorosulfonic acid were produced by the electrospinning method. Then, carbonization and activation were carried out to produce a porous activated carbon nanofibrous web. The investigation proved that the average diameter of the functionalized graphene oxide (FGO) incorporated PAN nanofibers increases as the amount of the incorporated FGO is increased. FESEM micrographs showed that the FGO incorporated nanofibers disfigure to some extent after activation, whereas the neat PAN nanofibers keep their original fiber form. XRD analysis showed that after activation, the D spacing in FGO-incorporated nanofibers decreases to some extent, but generally the effect of FGO on the microstructure of PAN nanofibers is not overwhelming. FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of FGO in ACNFs. BET results showed that the specific surface area of the ACNF decreases with increasing amounts of the incorporated FGO. The maximum specific surface area recorded was 941.37 m2/g. This was lower than that of the neat ACNF (988.5 m2/g). Total pore volume showed the same trend. The presence of FGO in ACNFs leads to an increase in mesopores content and in other words, the share of micropores decreases.

Effect of Carbon Nanoparticles on the Porous Texture of ι-Carrageenan-Based N-Doped Nanostructured Porous Carbons and Implications for Gas Phase Applications

S and N double-doped high surface area biomass-derived carbons were obtained from marine biomass-derived ι-carrageenan. Adding carbon nanoparticles (CNPs), namely graphene oxide (GO) or carbon nanotubes (CNTs), in the early stage of the synthesis leads to a modified porous texture and surface chemistry. The porous textures were characterized by N2 (−196.15 °C) and CO2 (0 °C) isotherms. The best GO- and CNT-added carbons had an apparent surface area of 1780 m2/g and 1170 m2/g, respectively, compared to 1070 m2/g for the CNP-free matrix. Analysis of the Raman spectra revealed that CNT was more efficient in introducing new defects than GO. Based on XPS, the carbon samples contain 2–4.5 at% nitrogen and 1.1 at% sulfur. The Dubinin–Radushkevich (DR) and Henry models were used to assess the strength of the interactions between various gases and the surface. The N2/H2 and CO2/CH4 selectivities were estimated with ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST). While the CNPs, particularly GO, had a remarkable influence on the porous texture and affected the surface chemistry, their influence on the separation selectivity of these gases was more modest.

Copper nanoparticles encapsulated in a nanoporous carbon-based catalyst in the upgradation of γ-valerolactone to 1,4-pentanediol by selective hydrogenation

This research work introduces highly dispersed Cu nanoparticles encapsulated into a nanoporous carbon (Cu@C) structure as an efficient catalytic system in selective hydrogenation of γ-valerolactone (GVL) to 1,4-pentanediol. The nanoporous carbon support and the catalysts were synthesized by sequential novel methods and characterized extensively by using a combination of different analytical techniques to determine the phase, textural, morphology, nanoparticles size, and distribution analysis, and redox behavior. The designed Cu@C embedded catalysts show moderately high activity in GVL hydrogenation with different Cu loadings. The effect of copper loadings was found to be a significant parameter in gaining the best performance in GVL conversion. The copper nanoparticles were uniformly distributed over the nano-scaled carbon structure with active metallic Cu(111) sites with high dispersion and promote GVL hydrogenation, efficiently. Over a 5Cu@C catalyst exhibited the highest GVL conversion (∼91%) and 1,4-pentanediol selectivity (∼97%) at 200 °C for a 5 h reaction time under a 5 MPa H2 pressure. The dispersion of the active copper phase in combination with a smaller particle size and surface acidity is directly correlated with the catalytic performance activity. The effects of reaction parameters such as the reaction time, temperature, and H2 pressure were systematically investigated. Overall, Cu@C is a promising non-noble metal-based catalytic system for the upgradation of biomass-based platform molecules via selective hydrogenation.

Rational design of Ni nanoparticles loaded porous N-doped carbon nanostructures for efficient hydrogenation reduction of Cr(VI): Performance, critical role of hydrogen species and mechanism insight

Catalytic hydrogenation via formic acid (FA) activation is an important way for the control of Cr(VI)-contaminated water. In the present study, three-dimensional porous N-doped carbon nanostructures loaded with quasi-spherical Ni nanoparticles (Ni@NC) are rationally prepared by a facile carbonization strategy and developed as a robust catalyst to effectively activate FA for hydrogenation reduction conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Such carbon nanostructures with large specific surface areas and abundant mesopores not only protect the anchored Ni nanoparticles from poisoning, but also coordinate with Ni nanoparticles to diversify active sites, significantly promoting Cr(VI) reduction efficiency. The optimal Ni@NC catalyst presents the excellent activity for catalytic FA activation and achieves high-efficiency Cr(VI) reduction, delivering the enhanced rate constant of 0.059 min−1 and favorable k-value of 3.15 μmol s−1 g−1, attributing to collaborative cooperation of high-electron-density Ni sites and self-polarized NC. More importantly, the Ni@NC catalyst exhibits robust tolerance of coexisting ions and good reusability for Cr(VI) reduction in acidic environment. Spectroscopic analysis and electrochemical evaluation unveil the critical role of the surface-bonded Ni–Hads* species and hydrogen radicals (·H) in-situ generated in Ni@NC/FA system for hydrogenation reduction of Cr(VI).

Superior metal storage behavior of Zn-containing porous carbon nanostructures for Na and Li metal batteries

A Zn-containing porous carbon electrode enables Na metal storage over 2500 cycles by inducing a uniform current distribution for Na metal nucleation.

Metal-organic framework derived vanadium oxide supported nanoporous carbon structure as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for potential application in metal air batteries.

High-efficiency, sustainable, non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts with bifunctional catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are essential for metal-air batteries. In this research, a bifunctional electrocatalyst is developed by synthesizing a novel nanoporous vanadium oxide/carbon composite (NVC-900) through pyrolysis of a highly efficient vanadium metal-organic framework, MIL-101 (V). The fabrication process was conveniently carried out by pyrolyzing the synthesized MIL-101 (V) at 900 °C, producing vanadium oxide nanoparticles embedded in the extensively distributed pores of the carbon network. The evenly distributed nanopores substantially improve the performance of the efficient electrocatalyst for both the oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR/OER) by increasing surface area and facilitating access to stable catalytic active sites. The unique structure was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the electrocatalyst established a promising limiting current density (J L) of 5.2 mA cm-2 at 1600 rpm at an onset potential of 1.18 V and a half-wave potential of 0.82 V, and for OER, a current density of 10 mA cm-2 was delivered at a potential of 1.48 V. In comparison to 10% Pt/C, the synthesized bifunctional electrocatalyst being almost equally active towards bifunctional activity, showed much better long-term cyclic stability. The one-step thermal pyrolysis strategy to synthesize the nanoporous functional material and the proposed electrocatalytic material's long-term bifunctional activity and durability make it an ideal fit for next-generation portable green metal-air batteries.

Synergistic effect of Pd-Co3O4 nanoparticles supported on coffee-derived sulfur, nitrogen-codoped hierarchical porous carbon for efficient methanolysis of NaBH4

Sulfur, nitrogen-codoped (SN-doped) highly porous carbon nanostructures (CNSs) are established as efficient components for hydrogen generation applications. Waste coffee grounds are carbonized in situ and activated with KOH to produce hierarchically SN doped porous carbon nanostructures with a large specific surface area of 2320 m2 g−1. The amorphous and highly active Pd-Co3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) are anchored onto an SN-codoped carbon nanosheet prepared via a simple hydrothermal reaction. An effective method for optimization of the Pd-Co3O4/SN-CNS-600 catalytic efficiency for NaBH4 methanolysis using sodium sulfide as a precursor or combination of sulfur-containing salts as a raw material is proposed. The Pd-Co3O4/SN-CNS-600 catalyst exhibits an excellent catalytic activity for NaBH4 catalytic methanolysis at room temperature, with a high hydrogen generation rate of 20158 mL H2 min−1 gcat−1. The methanolysis reaction activation energy in an aqueous NaBH4 solution is approximately 14.52 kJ/mol. The excellent Pd-Co3O4/SN-CNS-600 catalytic activity is attributed to the small size and amorphous state of Pd-Co3O4 NPs, good synergistic interaction between Pd-Co3O4 NPs and SN-CNS with a large specific surface area, and abundant defects. Highly efficient, inexpensive, and environment-friendly catalysts are successfully developed for hydrogen generation.

Bimetal Decorated Carbon Nano Materials (CNMs) Synthesized from Plant Waste Materials as An Excellent Hydrogen Storage Material

Abstract: In this study, Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) were synthesized from plant filaments and were investigated for the hydrogen adsorption capacity. Synthesis was carried out using Bagasse-a plant waste materials by pyrolyzing at high temperature of 700℃ in an inert atmosphere and were activated by different alkali solutions. The activated carbon fibres were further loaded with nano size bimetal particles. The SEM images show highly porous carbon nano structures impregnated with different combinations of metals. The EDAX and SEM confirmed the presence of bimetals. Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction indicates the presence of crystalline and amorphous carbon material. The designed carbon nanomaterial with bimetal particles has the higher specific surface area (SSA) than the carbon obtained without activation which was confirmed by the BET analysis. This makes it a front runner for its utilization in hydrogen adsorption among numerous others. The adsorption was studied using a Sievert’s apparatus