Graphene shows unique electron-transport properties owing to the density of its carriers near the Dirac point. The quantum capacitance (CQ) of graphene is an intrinsic property that has been investigated theoretically in many previous studies. However, the development of CQ theory is hindered by the limited availability of related experimental works. In this perspective, experimental works on the CQ of mechanically exfoliated graphene, graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and graphene mesosponge are briefly summarized. The impact of structural properties such as stacking layers, defects, and nitrogen doping on CQ was experimentally investigated. Furthermore, the applicability of CQ theory was extended to three-dimensional graphene frameworks. Future research on CVD-synthesized and three-dimensional graphene is expected to enhance our comprehension of the underlying nature of CQ.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are commonly produced in the combustion of fossil fuels and in chemical industries such as detergents and paints. VOCs in atmosphere cause different degrees of harm to human bodies and environments. Adsorption has become one of the most concerned methods to remove VOCs in atmosphere due to its high efficiency, simple operation and low energy consumption. Biomass-based porous carbon (BPC) has been considered as the most promising adsorption material because of the low cost and high absorption rate. In this paper, the key characteristic (e.g., specific surface area, pore structure, surface functional groups and basic composition) of BPC affecting the adsorption of VOCs in atmosphere were analyzed. The improvement of adsorption capacity of BPC by common modification methods, such as surface oxidation, surface reduction, surface loading and other modification methods, were discussed. Examples of BPC adsorption on different types of VOCs including aldehydes, ketones, aromatic VOCs, and halogenated hydrocarbons, were also reviewed. The specific adsorption mechanism was discussed. Finally, some unsolved problems and future research directions about BPC for adsorbing VOCs were propounded. This review can serve as a valuable reference for future developing effective biomass-based porous carbon VOCs adsorption technology.
Efforts have been extensively undertaken to tackle overheating problems in advanced electronic devices characterized by high performance and integration levels. Thermal interface materials (TIMs) play a crucial role in connecting heat sources to heat sinks, facilitating efficient heat dissipation and thermal management. On the other hand, increasing the content of TIMs for high thermal conductivity often poses challenges such as poor dispersion and undesired heat flow pathways. This study aims to enhance the through-plane heat dissipation via the magnetic alignment of a hybrid filler system consisting of exfoliated graphite (EG) and boron nitride (BN). The EG acts as a distributed scaffold in the polymer matrix, while the BN component of the hybrid offers high thermal conductivity. Moreover, the magnetic alignment technique promotes unidirectional heat transfer pathways. The hybrid exhibited an impressive thermal conductivity of 1.44 W m− 1 K− 1 at filler contents of 30 wt. %, offering improved thermal management for advanced electronic devices.
Herein, facile room-temperature self-assembly and high-temperature pyrolysis strategy was successively conducted for in situ synthesizing novel TiO2/ TiN@N-C heterostructure by using typical sandwich-like precursors (MXene/ZIF-8). Zerodimensional (0D) TiO2, TiN and N-doped carbon nanoparticles were in situ formed and randomly anchored on the twodimensional (2D) N-doped carbon substrate surface, making TiO2/ TiN@N-C exhibit unique 0D/2D heterostructure. Relative to the extensively studied ZIF-8-derived N-doped carbon nanoparticles, TiO2/ TiN@N-C heterostructure displayed greatly boosted electrochemical active specific surface. Benefiting from the enhanced electrochemical property of TiO2/ TiN@N-C heterostructure, remarkable signal enhancement effect was achieved in terms of the oxidation of multiple hazardous substances, including clozapine, sunset yellow and benomyl. As a result, a novel electrochemical platform was constructed, the linear detection range were 10–1000 nM, 2.5–1250 nM, 10–1000 nM while the detection limits were evaluated to be 3.5 nM, 1.2 nM, 4.5 nM for clozapine, sunset yellow and benomyl, respectively. Besides, the practicability of the newly developed electrochemical method was verified by assessing the content of clozapine, sunset yellow and benomyl in real food samples.
Natural gas pyrolysis produces hydrogen and solid carbon at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment. This study has evaluated the characteristics of solid carbon obtained from the pyrolysis of methane and natural gas by using molten tin (Sn) at 900–1000 °C. Material characterization outcomes revealed that solid carbon produced at 1000 °C has a spherical morphology. At this temperature, methane and natural gas pyrolysis have resulted in the arrangement of nanocrystalline carbon spheres with average sizes of 635 and 287 nm, respectively. Similarly, pyrolysis at 900 °C and 950 °C has yielded nanocrystalline carbon featuring diverse morphologies such as spheres, fibrous, and irregularly shaped particles. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that solid carbon products obtained from methane and natural gas pyrolysis at 1000 °C have higher thermal stability compared to commercial carbon black N991. Surface area analysis has indicated that solid carbon from natural gas pyrolysis at 1000 °C has 4.3- and 5.3-times higher surface area compared to the commercial carbon black N991 sample and graphite flakes, respectively. These findings offered insights into optimizing pyrolysis reactor design and operation to generate valuable solid carbon by-products while maximizing hydrogen production.
Electrochemical oxidation and reduction reactions are fundamental in various conversion and energy storage devices. Functional materials derived from MOFs have been considered promising as electrical catalysts for ORR, HER, and OER, which can be used in Zinc-air batteries and water electrolysis. Herein, we designed a novel approach to fabricating the ultrafine Co9S8 embedded nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanocages ( Co9S8@N-HC). The method involved a process of sulfidation of cobalt-based metal–organic frameworks (ZIF67) and then coating them with polypyrrole (PPy). PPy has notable properties such as high electrical conductivity and abundant nitrogen content, rendering it highly promising for catalytic applications. The Co9S8@ N-HC catalyst was successfully synthesized via the carbonization of CoSx@ PPy. Remarkably, the Co9S8@ N-HC catalyst demonstrated exceptional electrocatalytic activity, requiring only low overpotentials of 285 mV and 201 mV at 10 mA cm‒ 2 for OER and HER, respectively, and exhibited high activity for ORR, with an onset potential ( Eonset) of 0.923 V and half-wave potential ( E1/2) of 0.879 V in alkaline media. The electrocatalytic efficiency displayed by Co9S8@ N-HC opens a new line of research on the synergistic effect of MOF-PPy materials on energy storage and conversion.
Activated carbon has broad application prospects for treating pollutants due to its easy availability, low cost and good adsorption. In our work, nano-activated carbons (NAC) with abundant functional groups are obtained by the oxidation modification of HNO3, ( NH4)2S2O8, and KMnO4, which are used to construct the particle electrodes to degrade NDEA in a continuous flow electrochemical reactor, and the influence of relevant factors on the performance of NDEA removal is discussed. The experimental data show that the optimal degradation efficiency is 42.55% at the conditions of 3 mL/min influent water flow, 0.21 M electrolyte concentration, 10 mA/cm2 current density, and 10 μg/mL initial NDEA concentration. The degradation of NDEA conforms to a quasi second order kinetic equation. The electrocatalytic mechanism of NAC electrodes for removing NDEA is firstly discussed. The effects of different free radicals on the degradation of NDEA are also demonstrated through free radical quenching experiments, indicating that the degradation of NDEA is dominated by ⋅OH. The degradation pathway of NDEA and final products are obtained using GC–MS. NAC particle electrodes as the cheap and efficient electrocatalyst in continuous flow electrochemical reactor system provide a greener solution for the removal of disinfection by-products from drinking water.
The study investigated a method of synthesizing a pitch suitable for making activated carbon using fluid catalytic crackingdecant oil (FCC-DO), a high-purity carbon precursor from oil refining. We kept the reaction time and catalyst amount constant while varying the temperature to investigate its impact on pitch synthesis and the resulting physical and activation properties. Previous research established that materials added during pitch synthesis can affect the properties of both the pitch and resulting activated carbon. This study examined the addition of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to FCC-DO-based pitch. The results indicated significant changes in properties with PET addition and temperature variation that ensured stable activated carbon quality. At temperatures of 390 °C or higher, the specific surface area of the activated carbon stabilized between 2680 and 2740 m2/ g. Waste PET, a recyclable plastic, was chosen due to its compatibility and thermodynamic suitability for pitch synthesis. Importantly, adding PET didn't generate additional waste or degrade the physical properties of the activated carbon.
The present study investigates the impact of freeze–thaw deterioration on the electrical properties and electric-heating capabilities of cement mortar incorporating with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon fibers (CF). Mortar samples, containing 0.5 wt.% CNT and 0.1 wt.% CF relative to the mass of cement, were prepared and subjected to freeze–thaw tests for up to 300 cycles. The electrical properties and electric-heating capability were evaluated every 30 freeze–thaw cycles, and the physicochemical characteristics of the samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results indicate a decline in both electrical conductivity and heat-generation capability as the freeze–thaw cycles progress. Furthermore, changes in the pore structure of the mortar samples during the freeze–thaw cycles contributed to damage in the conductive network formed by CNT and CF, resulting in decreased electrical conductivity and heat-generation capabilities of the mortar samples.
Na4MnV(PO4)3 (NMVP) cathode materials have attracted significant attention as potential candidates for grid applications due to their distinctive structure and high theoretical capacity. However, their inadequate electronic conductivity compromises both cycling stability and rate capability, presenting a challenge for practical implementation. To address this issue, we employed a strategy involving Zr4+ doping and dual-carbon coating to enhance the electrochemical performance of NMVP. The resulting Na3.8MnV0.8Zr0.2( PO4)3/C/rGO composite demonstrated markedly improved rate capability (71.9 mAh g− 1 at 60 °C) and sustained cyclic stability (84.8% retention at 2 C after 1000 cycles), as validated through comprehensive kinetics assessments. The enhanced performance can be attributed to the expanded Na-ion pathways facilitated by large size ion doping and the improved electronic conductivity enabled by the dual-layer coating.
Mesocrystals are macroscopic structures formed by the assembly of nanoparticles that possess distinct surface structures and collective properties when compared to traditional crystalline materials. Various growth mechanisms and their unique features have promise as material design tools for diverse potential applications. This paper presents a straightforward method for metal–organic coordination-based mesocrystals using nickel ions and terephthalic acid. The coordinative compound between Ni2+ and terephthalic acid drives the particle-mediated growth mechanism, resulting in the mesocrystal formation through a mesoscale assembly. Subsequent carbonization converts mesocrystals to multidirectional interconnected graphite nanospheres along the macroscopic framework while preserving the original structure of the Ni-terephthalic acid mesocrystal. Comprehensive investigations demonstrate that multi-oriented edge sites and high crystallinity with larger interlayer spacing facilitate lithium ion transport and continuous intercalation. The resulting graphitic superparticle electrodes show superior rate capability (128.6 mAh g− 1 at 5 A g− 1) and stable cycle stability (0.052% of capacity decay per cycle), certifying it as an advanced anode material for lithium-ion batteries.
This study involved the heterogenization of a binder pitch (BP) using a small amount of nanocarbon to improve physical properties of the resulting graphite electrode (GE). Heterogenization was carried out by adding 0.5–2.0 wt.% platelet carbon nanofiber (PCNF) or carbon black (CB) to a commercial BP. To evaluate the physical properties of the BPs, we designed a new model graphite electrode (MGE) using needle coke as a filler. The heterogenized binder pitch (HBP) with PCNF or CB clearly increased the coking value by 5–13 wt.% compared to that of the as-received BP. Especially, the model graphite electrodes prepared with HBPs containing 1.0 wt.% PCNF or CB showed significantly improved physical properties compared to the control MGE from the as-received BP. Although the model graphite electrodes prepared with HBPs showed similar properties, they had smaller pore sizes than the control. This indicates that heterogenization of the BP can effectively decrease the pore size in the MGE matrix. Correlating the average pore sizes with the physical properties of the model graphite electrodes showed that, for the same porosity, matrices formed by the HBP with a smaller average pore size can effectively improve the apparent density, tensile strength, and oxidation resistance of the model graphite electrodes.
Building step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunctions has recently emerged as a highly effective approach for developing superior photocatalysts for water purification. Herein, a C3N5/ Ag3PO4 (CA) S-scheme heterojunction was prepared by in situ growth of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles on 2D C3N5 nanosheets. Notably, under visible-light irridiation, CA exhibited significantly higher activity in the photodegradation of LEVO, which is about 28.38, 2.41, and 2.14 times higher than the rates for C3N5, Ag3PO4, and the mixture, respectively. Based on the radical scavenging experiments, the mechanism for enhanced photocatalytic performance has been analyzed, is attributed to improved interfacial charge separation, the elevated redox potential of photon-generated electrons and holes, and the increased generation of active species resulting from the S-scheme transfer of photoinduced carriers. Additionally, CA demonstrates greater stability than either C3N5 or Ag3PO4 alone in the photo-oxidation of LEVO and the photodegradation of RhB. In essence, this study not only deepens our comprehension of the photocatalytic mechanism of CA, but also pioneers a novel concept for the development of highly effective and stable S-type heterojunction photocatalysts.
Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots (FCQDs), a new generation of carbon nanomaterials, have attracted a lot of attention throughout the years. This paper applied a straightforward and environmentally beneficial way to create water-soluble FCQDs hydrothermally from coconut shells. The as-prepared FCQDs have desirable functional groups and exhibit strong blue-emitting fluorescence with a relative quantum yield of 0.6 and 0.7%. The optical bandgap of FCQDs is calculated using UV–Vis spectra to be between 3.9 and 4.4 eV. Optical studies show that FCQDs have good fluorescence properties when excited at 360 nm. Whereas the fluorescence decay lifetime using TCSPC are 1.6–0.99 ns. The synthesized FCQDs were found by HRTEM to have a spherical shape and a particle-size distribution of 2.8–5.4 nm. As-prepared FCQDs has a very low hemotoxicity of 0.5 to 1.3%, which indicates that they have acceptable biocompatibility and are not hazardous. According to the DPPH antioxidant data, FCQDs had a stronger antioxidant activity compared to earlier reports. These important characteristics enable its applications in biomedical, food packaging, fluorescence imaging, photocatalysis, and sensing. The enhanced antioxidant characteristics of the produced FCQDs make them appropriate for use in biomedical, bioimaging, chemical, and industrial applications. The as-synthesized FCQDs were used for the detection of ferric ions with good selectivity.
Graphene has been extensively investigated as a host material for Li metal anodes owing to its light weight, high electrical conductivity, high surface area, and exceptional mechanical rigidity. Many studies have focused on assembling twodimensional (2D) graphene sheets into three-dimensional (3D) forms, such as lamination, spheres, and carbon nanotubes; however, little attention has been paid to the technology of modifying 2D graphene sheets. Herein, nanoperforated graphene (NPG) was fabricated through a relatively straightforward process employing metal oxide catalysts based on aqueous solutions. Nanoperforations exhibited a size of approximately 5 nm and were introduced on the graphene sheet and lithiophilic carbonyl groups (C = O) at the edges, facilitating the rapid diffusion of Li+ and lowering the Li nucleation overpotential. In comparison to the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) host, the NPG host exhibited a lower lithium nucleation overpotential and a stable overpotential of ~ 30 mV for over 150 cycles as a stable host structure as a Li metal anode for Li metal batteries.