Three-dimensional Interconnected Porous Structure Research Articles

Agarics-derived porous Fe/C material activated by ZnCl2 and its enhanced microwave absorption performance

Biomass-derived carbon materials retain the unique porous structure of biological raw materials and have environmental advantages, making them a popular choice for electromagnetic microwave absorption research. The microwave absorption performance of biomass-derived carbon materials is largely influenced by their pore structure, which can be controlled by chemical activators. In this study, ZnCl2 was chosen as the activator and de-impregnated agarics with Fe(NO3)3·9 H2O for pretreatment. The Fe(NO3)3·9 H2O can provide magnetic Fe particles for the material to enhance the magnetic loss ability. And the weakly acidic ZnCl2 can avoid the pollution of the environment, and its dehydration and dehydroxylation properties can release the hydrogen and oxygen in the biomass char material in the form of water vapor, and release the hydrogen and oxygen in the biomass carbon material in the form of water vapor, and form a porous structure. porous structure. In addition, ZnCl2 will be converted to ZnO during the activation process, and the removal of ZnO by acid washing will increase the internal pore volume, form a conductive network, and form a rich three-dimensional interconnected pore structure. The pretreated samples were vacuum carbonized at high temperature to obtain agarics-derived porous Fe/C material, which is an excellent lightweight and high-performance microwave absorbing material. The resulting material has a wider absorption bandwidth and improved microwave absorption performance. At a thickness of 2.55 mm and a frequency of 8.31 GHz, the RLmin of Fe/C material is −51.14 dB. Furthermore, at a thickness of 2.13 mm, it has an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.63 GHz, covering most of the X-band.

Cellulose nanocrystal-infused polymer hydrogel imbued with ferric-manganese oxide nanoparticles for efficient antinomy removal

Antimony is a highly poisonous pollutant that needs to be removed from water to ensured safety. In this work, we have fabricated a novel adsorbent, the ferric-manganese oxide (FeMnOx) nanoparticles embedded cellulose nanocrystal-based polymer hydrogel (FeMnOx @CNC-g-PAA/qP4VP, denoted as FMO@CPqP), specifically engineered for the remediation of antimony-laden water. Comprehensive evaluations have been conducted to investigate the efficacy of the FMO@CPqP hydrogel in removal of antimony from water. The hydrogel exhibits superior affinity for antimony, with maximum adsorption capacities of 276.1 mg/g for Sb(III) and 286.8 mg/g for Sb(V). The adsorptive dynamics, governed by the kinetics and isotherm analyses, elucidate that the immobilization of both Sb(III) and Sb(V) is facilitated through a homogeneous and monolayer chemisorption mechanism. The hydrogel has a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure and exhibits good swelling behavior, which facilitates the rapid absorption of antimony ions by this high surface area hydrogel into the channels. Furthermore, various effects, including the oxidation and inner-sphere coordination mediated by FeMnOx NPs and the electrostatic attractions of the quaternized P4VP chains, promote the immobilization of antimony species. Owing to its high removal efficiency, stability and reusability, the FMO@CPqP hydrogel emerges as an exemplary candidate for the removal of antimony contaminants in water treatment processes.

Three-dimensional interconnected nanofibers consisting of ultra-small Ni-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles for acidic overall water splitting at high current density

Exploring earth-abundant electrocatalysts to replace platinum/iridium for acidic overall water splitting at high current density is an important challenge towards lowering the cost of green hydrogen production. Herein, we developed a new class of three-dimensional interconnected nanofibers (NFs) composed of ultra-small Ni-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles (Ni-Co3O4 NFs). Benefiting from the unique ultra-small Ni-doped Co3O4 composition and three-dimensional interconnected porous structure, 13.4 % Ni-Co3O4 NFs (Ni doping is 13.4 wt%) exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic performance in acidic media. Specially, in strongly acidic environments, high activity and high stability overall water splitting can be achieved at high current density. As evidenced by the fact that a voltage of 500 mA cm−2 can be achieved at only 1.86 V and operational stability can be maintained at 500 mA cm−2 for 100 h.

Design of ZIF-67-derived Fe, N and F co-doped porous carbon material and evaluation of its ORR and OER performance

Addressing the low conductivity and porosity of ZIF-67-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is a top priority. Noble metal-free highly active bifunctional catalysts F-N/FeCoNC900 with three-dimensional interconnected porous structure and high electrical conductivity were successfully prepared by co-doping Fe, F, and N on the precursor ZIF-67. In terms of ORR performance, F-N/FeCoNC900 has a high onset potential (Eonset) of 0.97 V (vs. RHE), a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.87 V (vs. RHE), and an ultimate current density (JL) of 5.7 mA cm−2, superior to commercially available Pt/C (0.95 V, 0.85 V, 5.3 mA cm−2). In addition, F-N/FeCoNC900 provides high ORR activity with constant 4 electron transfer (n = 3.91–3.99) for methanol resistance and long-lasting stability (initial current retention of 96.32% after 21600 s). In terms of OER performance, F-N/FeCoNC900 exhibits ultra-low overpotential (273 mV) and ultra-high Faraday efficiency (93%) at constant 4 (n = 3.91–3.99) electron transfer mode. This work provides a new pathway of doped ZIFs-derived composites as efficient bifunctional non-precious metal catalysts.

In-situ biofabrication of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC)/graphene oxide (GO) nano-biocomposite and study of its cationic dyes adsorption properties

In the present study, bacterial nanocellulose/graphene oxide nano-biocomposites (BNC-GO-NBCs) were fabricated by Komagataeibacter saccharivorans NUWB1 using an in-situ method involving three time-dependent approaches. Physicochemical studies showed that the chosen dried BNC-GO-NBC possessed a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure of BNC with GO layers embedded within the BNC fibrils. BNC-GO-NBC had a crystallinity index of 74.21 %, higher thermostability up to 380 °C and could withstand a tensile load of 84.72 MPa. N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm of the BNC-GO-NBC was found to be of type IV, suggesting a mesoporous type structure with a total pore volume and surface area of 6.232e-04 cc g−1 and 10.498 m2. BNC-GO-NBC exhibited remarkable adsorption capacity for two cationic dyes, Rhodamine B (RhB) and Acridine Orange (AO), and the adsorption data conformed well to the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.99) and pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. Additionally, the BNC-GO-NBC displayed the potential for regeneration, with the ability to be recycled up to five times. Further, the antibacterial activity, cell cytotoxicity and oxidative stress assays of the BNC-GO-NBC revealed its non-cytotoxic nature. The findings of the present investigation evidently suggest the potentiality of BNC-GO-NBC in the application of dye adsorption and other environmental applications.

High-efficiency and all-weather crude oil spill remediation by an eco-friendly self-heating MXene-coated poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) porous monolith

Frequent oil spill incidents have resulted in serious environmental pollution posing a great threat to human health and ecological system, thus developing new absorbents to efficiently remove and recycle high-viscosity crude oil is attracting more attention. We herein report an eco-friendly flexible poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-based monolith with MXene (Ti3C2Tx) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings (P-MXene@PBAT monolith) by convenient and economical preparation method for self-heating driven fast crude oil cleanup. Due to unique three-dimensional interconnected pore structure and superior hydrophobicity, the P-MXene@PBAT showed high saturated absorption capacity and cyclic separation efficiency for multifarious low-viscosity oils. The P-MXene@PBAT was endowed with excellent photo/electro-thermal performance via wrapping MXene layer. The maximum surface temperature of monolith quickly reached up to 81 °C under 1.0 kW m−2 (1.0 sun) irradiation and 91 °C under 8 V voltage, respectively. Furthermore, the P-MXene@PBAT could self-heat crude oil to dramatically decrease oil viscosity and accelerate separation process. Specially, the P-MXene@PBAT was able to continuously separate crude oil from water with a simple pump-assisted absorption device (crude oil flux of 204 kg m−2 h−1), which adapted to varied working conditions by coupling solar heating and Joule heating. Such environmental-friendly all-weather absorbent design provides a sustainable strategy for efficient remediation of crude oil spill.

3D bioprinted hydrogel/polymer scaffold with factor delivery and mechanical support for growth plate injury repair.

Introduction: Growth plate injury is a significant challenge in clinical practice, as it could severely affect the limb development of children, leading to limb deformity. Tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting technology have great potential in the repair and regeneration of injured growth plate, but there are still challenges associated with achieving successful repair outcomes. Methods: In this study, GelMA hydrogel containing PLGA microspheres loaded with chondrogenic factor PTH(1-34) was combined with BMSCs and Polycaprolactone (PCL) to develop the PTH(1-34)@PLGA/BMSCs/GelMA-PCL scaffold using bio-3D printing technology. Results: The scaffold exhibited a three-dimensional interconnected porous network structure, good mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and was suitable for cellchondrogenic differentiation. And a rabbit model of growth plate injury was appliedto validate the effect of scaffold on the repair of injured growth plate. The resultsshowed that the scaffold was more effective than injectable hydrogel in promotingcartilage regeneration and reducing bone bridge formation. Moreover, the addition ofPCL to the scaffold provided good mechanical support, significantly reducing limbdeformities after growth plate injury compared with directly injected hydrogel. Discussion: Accordingly, our study demonstrates the feasibility of using 3D printed scaffolds for treating growth plate injuries and could offer a new strategy for the development of growth plate tissue engineering therapy.

Three-dimensional porous AuNPs-decorated polyaniline array for ultrasensitive determination of trace Cd(II) and Pb(II) in drinking water

Herein, a three-dimensional porous nanomaterials AuNPs-decorated polyaniline nanowire arrays/carbon nanotube (Au-PANI-array@CNT) was constructed by modified dilute polymerization and redox reaction. The Au-PANI-array@CNT exhibited a larger specific surface area (50.03 m2 g−1) and abundant mesopores (average pore size: 19.6 nm), due to the vertical growth of PANI nanowire arrays on CNT. The Au-PANI-array@CNT composite with a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure exhibited abundant electroactive sites and high adsorption capacity, significantly enhancing the deposition and electrochemical reaction process of heavy metals. The AuNPs embedded on PANI nanowries can provide high catalytic activity and multidimensional electron transport channels, further improving the detection sensitivity. A sensing platform with ultra-high sensitivity (2091, 3890 μA μM−1 cm−2) and lower limit of detection (0.18, 0.15 nM) for Cd(II) and Pb(II) determination was developed based on the three-dimensional porous PANI composite. Furthermore, the sensing mechanism of Au-PANI-array@CNT with Cd(II) was explored by XPS and FTIR spectroscopy. The current response only decreased by 5% after being stored at room temperature for 2 months, indicating that the sensor has high reproducibility and stability. Finally, the analysis of drinking water samples verified the excellent practicability of the sensor for the simultaneous measurement of trace levels (nM) of Cd(II) and Pb(II).

An integrated oxygen electrode derived from a flexible single-walled carbon nanotube film for rechargeable Zn-air batteries produced by electropolymerization

The development of low-cost, high-activity, and durable integrated bifunctional flexible air electrodes for use in Zn-air batteries is both challenging and important. We report a simple and scalable electropolymerization method used to prepare an electrode material comprising heavily N-doped carbon covering single-walled carbon nanotube (N/C-SWCNT) networks. The resulting core/shell structure of the hybrid electrode enabled the flexibility, mechanics, and three-dimensional interconnected porous structure of SWCNT films while containing abundant pyridinic N, which provided excellent catalytic activity for both the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (overpotential gap = 0.76 V). A binder-free Zn-air battery using the N/C-SWCNT film as an oxygen electrode was assembled and showed a high peak power density of 181 mW/cm2, a high specific capacity of 810 mAh/g and stable discharge‒charge cycling performance. We also constructed a flexible solid-state Zn-air battery featuring not only a high power density of 22 mW/cm2 but also good flexibility and stability.

Superhydrophobic and Conductive Foams with Antifouling and Oil–Water Separation Properties

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials are attracting enormous interest in materials science due to the combination of multiple advantageous properties of both organic and inorganic components. Taking advantage of a simple, scalable, solvent-free hard-sacrificial method, we report the successful fabrication of three-dimensional hybrid porous foams by integrating two types of fillers into a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) framework. These fillers consist of hydrophobic electrically conductive graphene (GR) nanoplatelets and hydrophobic bactericidal copper (Cu) microparticles. The fillers were utilized to create the hierarchical rough structure with low-surface-energy properties on the PDMS foam surfaces, leading to remarkable superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity with contact angles of 158 and 0° for water and oil, respectively. The three-dimensional interconnected porous foam structures facilitated high oil adsorption capacity and excellent reusability as well as highly efficient oil/organic solvent-water separation in turbulent, corrosive, and saline environments. Moreover, the introduction of the fillers led to a significant improvement in the electrical conductivity and biofouling resistance (vs whole blood, fibrinogen, platelet cells, and Escherichia coli) of the foams. We envision that the developed composite strategy will pave a facile, scalable, and effective way for fabricating novel multifunctional hybrid materials with ideal properties that may find potential use in a broad range of biomedical, energy, and environmental applications.

Insights of Platinum Drug Interaction with Spinel Magnetic Nanocomposites for Targeted Anti-Cancer Effect.

In nanotherapeutics, gaining insight about the drug interaction with the pore architecture and surface functional groups of nanocarriers is crucial to aid in the development of targeted drug delivery. Manganese ferrite impregnated graphene oxide (MnFe2O4/GO) with a two-dimensional sheet and spherical silica with a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure (MnFe2O4/silica) were evaluated for cisplatin release and cytotoxic effects. Characterization studies revealed the presence of Mn2+ species with a variable spinel cubic phase and superparamagnetic effect. We used first principles calculations to study the physisorption of cisplatin on monodispersed silica and on single- and multi-layered GO. The binding energy of cisplatin on silica and single-layer GO was ~1.5 eV, while it was about double that value for the multilayer GO structure. Moreover, we treated MCF-7 (breast cancer cells) and HFF-1 (human foreskin fibroblast) with our nanocomposites and used the cell viability assay MTT. Both nanocomposites significantly reduced the cell viability. Pt4+ species of cisplatin on the spinel ferrite/silica nanocomposite had a better effect on the cytotoxic capability when compared to GO. The EC50 for MnFe2O4/silica/cisplatin and MnFe2O4/GO/cisplatin on MCF-7 was: 48.43 µg/mL and 85.36 µg/mL, respectively. The EC50 for the same conditions on HFF was: 102.92 µg/mL and 102.21 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, immunofluorescence images using c-caspase 3/7, and TEM analysis indicated that treating cells with these nanocomposites resulted in apoptosis as the major mechanism of cell death.

Three-dimension in-situ nitrogen doping porous cellulosic biomass-based carbon aerogel for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

As components of biomass, cellulose has great utilization value. In this study, the three-dimensional interconnected porous structure of carbon aerogel was easily prepared from cellulose on the electrocatalytic reduction reaction of CO2 (CO2RR). However, carbon materials have fewer active sites resulting in poor catalytic activity. Therefore, in order to improve the conductivity and active sites of carbon materials, melamine as nitrogen source was added into carbon aerogel by in-situ synthesis method to prepare nitrogen uniform distribution catalyst at different pyrolysis temperature. Results showed that with the increase of pyrolysis temperature, abundant pore structures were gradually formed from inside to outside, which provided enough transport channels for CO2 and products. N3–750 had the maximum CO faradaic efficiency (FE) of 75.90% due to the largest surface area of 1038.02 m2/g and the highest surface N/C ratio of 5.15%. Meanwhile, the high content of pyridinic N provided sufficient active sites on forming the *COOH intermediate rather than the pyrrolic N. Furthermore, after eight hours of reaction, the FE of CO changed from 75.90% to 68.26%, indicating good stability. Therefore, nitrogen-doped cellulosic biomass-based carbon aerogel has the potential to become a stable and efficient CO2RR catalyst.

Na3V2(PO4)3/C cathode material with three-dimensional interconnected porous structure constructed using cotton soft tissue as carbon source

• Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C was successfully synthesized by a facile impregnation approach. • Cotton soft tissue was used as a novel carbon source to construct 3D structure. • Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 nanoparticles are evenly distributed in porous carbon matrix. • Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C shows a high first discharge capacity of 106.4 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C. • Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C cathode can still remain stable after 2000 cycles at 2 C and 5 C. Sodium-ion batteries have significant advantages in the field of large-scale energy storage due to their low cost, abundant sodium resources, and appropriate redox potential. Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 with a unique NASICON structure demonstrates a high voltage platform and high capacity. However, the low electronic conductivity of Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 causes it to have poor cycling stability and rate capability. High-conductivity carbon materials can enhance the Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 ’s poor electronic conductivity. In this study, Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 nanoparticles were evenly distributed in the carbon skeleton’s porous structure by a simple impregnation approach using daily necessities cotton soft tissue as a new carbon source. The prepared Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C cathode material with a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected porous structure shows better electrochemical properties than pure Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 . The first discharge specific capacity of Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C material at 0.1 C is 106.4 mAh g −1 in the voltage range of 2–4.0 V. The material’s capacity can still remain stable after 2000 cycles at 2 C and 5 C rates. The presence of 3D interconnected porous carbon significantly enhances the electronic conductivity of Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 material, shortens the ion diffusion path, speeds up the electron transfer, and inhibits electrode/electrolyte interface side reactions. Several common carbon sources in everyday life are promising auxiliary materials for enhancing the electrochemical properties of electrode materials used in secondary batteries.

Performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cell under wet/dry conditions with hydrophilic and hydrophobic electrospun microporous layers

The electrospinning method is used to fabricate the microporous layers (MPL). The hydrophobic and hydrophilic electrospun MPLs (E-MPLs) are realized by using acetylene black and pigmented carbon black in the electrospinning ink, respectively. Scanning electron microscope shows that the E-MPLs have three-dimensional inter-connected pore structure formed by disordered nanofibers. Mercury intrusion porosimetry results indicate that the E-MPLs have larger porosity (more than 85%) and wider pore size distribution (0.8–4 μm) compared with the commercial MPL (from SGL 29BC). Hydrophobic E-MPL exhibits lower mass transport resistance at 100% relative humidity (RH) due to its larger pore size and better water drainage capability, while the hydrophilic E-MPL shows lower ohmic resistance at 40% RH due to its higher water retention capability. Fuel cell with a double-layer E-MPL, an integrated MPL containing a hydrophilic layer and a hydrophobic layer, is found to perform well under wider RH range. The fuel cell with double-layer E-MPL is found to have a better dynamic response to a current step, in that it has lower amplitude of voltage undershoot and overshoot, and reaches a steady state more quickly.

Graphene oxide quantum dots attached on wood-derived nanocellulose to fabricate a highly sensitive humidity sensor

Herein, cellulose nanofibril (CNF) with various carboxyl amounts were prepared via regulating its oxidation degree using TEMPO oxidation. The CNF dispersion was dropped onto the interdigital electrode to be capacitive humidity sensor by the subsequent vacuum freeze-drying. Pure CNF-7 (NaClO content of 7 mmol/g) humidity sensor involves in orderly porous structure, which displays better performance than other CNFs for its moderate carboxyl content and dimension. As uniformly adding appropriate content of graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQD) with larger surface area and active sites, it can be attached on the CNF to construct a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure for their excellent aqueous dispersity as well as differences in morphology and size. Consequently, the CNF/GOQD sensor exhibits the sensitivity as high as 51,840.91 pF/% RH, short response time (30 s)/recovery time (11 s) and excellent reproducibility. The proposed method can provide effective guidance for the design of humidity sensors based on nanomaterials.

Enhanced Sound Absorption Properties of Ceramics with Graphene Oxide Composites.

Noise pollution is acknowledged as the main environmental problem and is as harmful to human physical and mental health as water and air pollution. However, the acoustic properties of traditional sound absorption materials in low frequency ranges still need to be improved. Herein, the low-frequency sound absorption coefficient of porous ceramics was further improved by coating a graphene oxide (GO) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composite film inside the porous ceramics. The improved sound absorption coefficient of the porous composite reached 30.4% in the range of 200–800 Hz, which is attributed to the enhancement of the thermal viscous effect and the extension of the dissipation mechanism. Predictably, designing the morphology of three-dimensional interconnected porous structures on the microscale is comparatively useful for developing a porous sound absorbing material effective in middle- and low-frequency noise.

Effects of dynamic flow rates on degradation deposition behavior of Mg scaffold

Degradability of bone tissue engineering scaffold that matching the regeneration rate could allow a complete replacement of host tissue. However, the porous structure of biodegradable Mg scaffolds certainly generated high specific surface area, and the three-dimensional interconnected pores provided fast pervasive invasion entrance for the corrosive medium, rising concern of the structural integrity during the degradation. To clarify the structural evolution of the three-dimensional (3D) porous structure, semi-static immersion tests were carried out to evaluate the degradation performance in our previous study. Nevertheless, dynamic immersion tests mimicking the in vivo circulatory fluid through the interconnected porous structure have yet been investigated. Moreover, the effects of dynamic flow rates on the degradation deposition behavior of 3D porous Mg scaffolds were rarely reported. In this study, Mg scaffolds degraded at three flow rates exhibited different degradation rates and deposition process. A flow rate of 0.5 mL/min introduced maximum drop of porosity by accumulated deposition products. The deposition products provided limited protection against the degradation process at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The three-dimensional interconnected porous structure of Mg scaffold degraded at 2.0 mL/min well retained after 14 days showing the best interconnectivity resistance to the degradation deposition process. The dynamic immersion tests disclosed the reason for the different degradation rates on account of flow rates, which may bring insight into understanding of varied in vivo degradation rates related to implantation sites.

Development of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Kaolin Sponges Stimulated by Marjoram as Hemostatic, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Dressings for Wound Healing Promotion.

The predominant impediments to cutaneous wound regeneration are hemorrhage and bacterial infections that lead to extensive inflammation with lethal impact. We thus developed a series of composite sponges based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) inspired by marjoram essential oil and kaolin (PVA/marjoram/kaolin), adopting a freeze–thaw method to treat irregular wounds by thwarting lethal bleeding and microbial infections. Microstructure analyses manifested three-dimensional interconnected porous structures for PVA/marjoram/kaolin. Additionally, upon increasing marjoram and kaolin concentrations, the pore diameters of the sponges significantly increased, recording a maximum of 34 ± 5.8 µm for PVA-M0.5-K0.1. Moreover, the porosity and degradation properties of PVA/marjoram/kaolin sponges were markedly enhanced compared with the PVA sponge with high swelling capacity. Furthermore, the PVA/marjoram/kaolin sponges exerted exceptional antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus, along with remarkable antioxidant properties. Moreover, PVA/marjoram/kaolin sponges demonstrated significant thrombogenicity, developing high thrombus mass and hemocompatibility, in addition to their remarkable safety toward fibroblast cells. Notably, this is the first study to our knowledge investigating the effectiveness of marjoram in a polymeric carrier for prospective functioning as a wound dressing. Collectively, the findings suggest the prospective usage of the PVA-M0.5-K0.1 sponge in wound healing for hemorrhage and bacterial infection control.

Nitrogen-enriched hierarchical porous carbons derived from biomass waste-discarded pear for ultra-high energy density supercapacitor in neutral aqueous electrolyte

Herein, nitrogen-enriched hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs) were synthesized by soaking, carbonization and pickling process using natural discarded pears (DP) as the precursor, ZnCl2 as a chemical etching agent and Mg(NO3)2·6H2O as a template. The ZnCl2 activation could produce abundant micropores, while Mg(NO3)2·6H2O can serve as mesopores template. Consequently, the as-prepared carbon material exhibits a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure with a high specific surface area (SBET) of 1642 m2 g−1 and a pore volume of 1.06 cm3 g−1 as well as high nitrogen content (1.7 at.%). On the basis of electrochemical tests, the SCs involve the final products as electrode material presented remarkable gravimetric capacitance (443.5 F g−1) and volumetric capacitance (285.2 F cm−3) at the current density of 1 A g−1 and excellent rate capability (45.1% capacitance retention from 0.5 A g−1 to 40 A g−1). Most attractively, the constructed DP-Zn-Mg-PC/DP-Zn-Mg-PC symmetric SC cell in 1 M Na2SO4 with a wide potential window of 2.2 V displays an ultra-high energy density of 95.8 Wh kg−1 at 550 W kg−1 together with superior cycling stability (98.6% retention after 10,000 cycles), which is outperform those of some similar peer reported biochars. Thus, this work provides an important guideline for preparing HPCs with high-energy density from eco-friendly and sustainable biomass precursors.

Self-Healing Hydrophilic Porous Photothermal Membranes for Durable and Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Interfacial Water Evaporation

Self-Healing Hydrophilic Porous Photothermal Membranes for Durable and Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Interfacial Water Evaporation