From waste to wealth:Coal tar residue derived carbon materials as low-cost anodes for potassium-ion batteries

Carbon materials are widely recognized as highly promising electrode materials for various energy storage system applications.Coal tar residues(CTR),as a type of carbon-rich solid waste with high value-added utilization,are crucially important for the development of a more sustainable world.In this study,we employed a straightforward direct carbonization method within the temperature range of 700-1000℃to convert the worthless solid waste CTR into economically valuable carbon materials as anodes for potassium-ion batteries(PIBs).The effect of carbonization temperature on the microstructure and the potassium ions storage properties of CTR-derived carbons(CTRCs)were systematically explored by structural and morphological characterization,alongside electrochemical performances assessment.Based on the co-regulation between the turbine layers,crystal structure,pore structure,functional groups,and electrical conductivity of CTR-derived carbon carbonized at 900℃(CTRC-900H),the electrode material with high reversible capacity of 265.6m Ah·g^(-1)at 50 m A·g^(-1),a desirable cycling stability with 93.8%capacity retention even after 100 cycles,and the remarkable rate performance for PIBs were obtained.Furthermore,cyclic voltammetry(CV)at different scan rates and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique(GITT)have been employed to explore the potassium ions storage mechanism and electrochemical kinetics of CTRCs.Results indicate that the electrode behavior is predominantly governed by surface-induced capacitive processes,particularly under high current densities,with the potassium storage mechanism characterized by an“adsorption-weak intercalation”mechanism.This work highlights the potential of CTR-based carbon as a promising electrode material category suitable for high-performance PIBs electrodes,while also provides valuable insights into the new avenues for the high value-added utilization of CTR.

A Greener Future: Carbon Nanomaterials from Lignocellulose

Lignocellulosic materials(LCMs),abundant biomass residues,pose significant environmental challenges when improperly disposed of.LCMs,such as sugarcane bagasse,rice straw,saw dust and agricultural residues,are abun-dant but often burned,contributing to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.This review explores the potential of transforming these materials into high-value carbon nanomaterials(CNMs).We explore the potential of transforming these materials into high-value CNMs.By employing techniques like carbonization and activa-tion,LCMs can be converted into various CNMs,including carbon nanotubes(CNTs),graphene(G),graphene oxide(GO),carbon quantum dots(CQDs),nanodiamonds(NDs),fullerenes(F),carbon nanofibers(CNFs),and others.Hybridizing different carbon allotropes further enhances their properties.CNMs derived from cellulose,lignin,and hemicellulose exhibit promising applications in diversefields.For instance,CNTs can be used in energy storage devices like batteries and supercapacitors due to their exceptional electrical conductivity and mechanical strength.Additionally,CNTs can be incorporated into recycled paper as afire retardant additive,enhancing itsflame resistance.G,renowned for its high surface area and excellent electrical conductivity,finds applications in electronics,sensors,catalysis,and water treatment,where it can be used to adsorb heavy metal ions.CQDs,owing to their unique optical properties,are used in bioimaging,drug delivery,and optoelectronic devices.By harnessing the potential of LCMs,we can not only mitigate environmental concerns but also contri-bute to a sustainable future.Continued research is essential to optimize synthesis methods,explore novel applica-tions,and unlock the full potential of these versatile materials.

Exploring the potential of olivine-containing copper-nickel slag for carbon dioxide mineralization in cementitious materials

Water-quenched copper-nickel metallurgical slag enriched with olivine minerals exhibits promising potential for the production of CO_(2)-mineralized cementitious materials.In this work,copper-nickel slag-based cementitious material(CNCM)was synthesized by using different chemical activation methods to enhance its hydration reactivity and CO_(2) mineralization capacity.Different water curing ages and carbonation conditions were explored related to their carbonation and mechanical properties development.Meanwhile,thermogravimetry differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction methods were applied to evaluate the CO_(2) adsorption amount and carbonation products of CNCM.Microstructure development of carbonated CNCM blocks was examined by backscattered electron imaging(BSE)with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry.Results showed that among the studied samples,the CNCM sample that was subjected to water curing for 3 d exhibited the highest CO_(2) sequestration amount of 8.51wt%at 80℃and 72 h while presenting the compressive strength of 39.07 MPa.This result indicated that 1 t of this CNCM can sequester 85.1 kg of CO_(2) and exhibit high compressive strength.Although the addition of citric acid did not improve strength development,it was beneficial to increase the CO_(2) diffusion and adsorption amount under the same carbonation conditions from BSE results.This work provides guidance for synthesizing CO_(2)-mineralized cementitious materials using large amounts of metallurgical slags containing olivine minerals.

A review of petroleum asphalt-based carbon materials in electrochemical energy storage

Petroleum asphalt,an important by-product of the petrochemical industry,has diverse applications but often suffers from low industrial added value.Because of its low cost,high carbon content,and high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content,appropriate modification can increase its value and expand its energy storage applications.Current research progress on the common preparation methods of petroleum asphalt-based carbon materials,including template-assisted pyrolysis,molten salt treatment,activation,heteroatom doping,and pre-oxidation is reviewed,and its use in supercapacitors and alkali metal ion batteries,is also elaborated.Feasible solutions for the current problems with petroleum asphalt are proposed,with the aim of providing insights into its high value-added utilization.

Recent Progress in Improving Rate Performance of Cellulose-Derived Carbon Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Cellulose-derived carbon is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for high-performance anode materials in sodium-ion batteries;however,its poor rate performance at higher current density remains a challenge to achieve high power density sodium-ion batteries.The present review comprehensively elucidates the structural characteristics of cellulose-based materials and cellulose-derived carbon materials,explores the limitations in enhancing rate performance arising from ion diffusion and electronic transfer at the level of cellulose-derived carbon materials,and proposes corresponding strategies to improve rate performance targeted at various precursors of cellulose-based materials.This review also presents an update on recent progress in cellulose-based materials and cellulose-derived carbon materials,with particular focuses on their molecular,crystalline,and aggregation structures.Furthermore,the relationship between storage sodium and rate performance the carbon materials is elucidated through theoretical calculations and characterization analyses.Finally,future perspectives regarding challenges and opportunities in the research field of cellulose-derived carbon anodes are briefly highlighted.

Unlocking the potential of ultra-thin two-dimensional antimony materials:Selective growth and carbon coating for efficient potassium-ion storage

Antimony-based anodes have attracted wide attention in potassium-ion batteries due to their high theoretical specific capacities(∼660 mA h g^(-1))and suitable voltage platforms.However,severe capacity fading caused by huge volume change and limited ion transportation hinders their practical applications.Recently,strategies for controlling the morphologies of Sb-based materials to improve the electrochemical performances have been proposed.Among these,the two-dimensional Sb(2D-Sb)materials present excellent properties due to shorted ion immigration paths and enhanced ion diffusion.Nevertheless,the synthetic methods are usually tedious,and even the mechanism of these strategies remains elusive,especially how to obtain large-scale 2D-Sb materials.Herein,a novel strategy to synthesize 2D-Sb material using a straightforward solvothermal method without the requirement of a complex nanostructure design is provided.This method leverages the selective adsorption of aldehyde groups in furfural to induce crystal growth,while concurrently reducing and coating a nitrogen-doped carbon layer.Compared to the reported methods,it is simpler,more efficient,and conducive to the production of composite nanosheets with uniform thickness(3–4 nm).The 2D-Sb@NC nanosheet anode delivers an extremely high capacity of 504.5 mA h g^(-1) at current densities of 100 mA g^(-1) and remains stable for more than 200 cycles.Through characterizations and molecular dynamic simulations,how potassium storage kinetics between 2D Sb-based materials and bulk Sb-based materials are explored,and detailed explanations are provided.These findings offer novel insights into the development of durable 2D alloy-based anodes for next-generation potassium-ion batteries.

High-efficiently doping nitrogen in kapok fiber-derived hard carbon used as anode materials for boosting rate performance of sodium-ion batteries

The engineering of plant-based precursor for nitrogen doping has become one of the most promising strategies to enhance rate capability of hard carbon materials for sodium-ion batteries;however,the poor rate performance is mainly caused by lack of pyridine nitrogen,which often tends to escape because of high temperature in preparation process of hard carbon.In this paper,a high-rate kapok fiber-derived hard carbon is fabricated by cross-linking carboxyl group in 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid with the exposed hydroxyl group on alkalized kapok with assistance of zinc chloride.Specially,a high nitrogen doping content of 4.24%is achieved,most of which are pyridine nitrogen;this is crucial for improving the defect sites and electronic conductivity of hard carbon.The optimized carbon with feature of high nitrogen content,abundant functional groups,degree of disorder,and large layer spacing exhibits high capacity of 401.7 mAh g^(−1)at a current density of 0.05 A g^(−1),and more importantly,good rate performance,for example,even at the current density of 2 A g^(−1),a specific capacity of 159.5 mAh g^(−1)can be obtained.These findings make plant-based hard carbon a promising candidate for commercial application of sodium-ion batteries,achieving high-rate performance with the enhanced pre-cross-linking interaction between plant precursors and dopants to optimize aromatization process by auxiliary pyrolysis.

The preparation and properties of N-doped carbon materials and their use for sodium storage

Defect engineering by heteroatom doping gives carbon materials some new characteristics such as a different electronic structure and a high electrochemical activity,making them suitable for high-performance applications.N-doping has been widely investigated because of its similar atom radius to carbon,high electronegativity as well as many different configurations.We summarize the preparation methods and properties of N-doped carbon materials,and discuss their possible use in sodium ion storage.The relationships between N content/configuration and crystallinity,electronic conductivity,wettability,chemical reactivity as well as sodium ion storage performance are discussed.

Preparation of Polymer Separators Combined with Metal-organic Framework Materials@Carbon Materials and Their Application in the Lithium Battery

There are some inherent defects for the polyolefin based lithium battery separator,such as,poor thermal stability,poor electrolyte wettability and low porosity,which limit the development of lithium battery.An important way to improve the performance of lithium battery is to improve the separator.Here,three novel separators combined with metal-organic framework materials(MOFs)and carbon materials were prepared by using the in situ growth method and the adsorption combination method simultaneously.The result showed that compared with the polypropylene separator,the porosity and electrolyte wettability were significantly improved in view of these novel polypropylene separators combined with MOFs and carbon materials.Meanwhile,the electrochemical performance of lithium battery equipped with the polypropylene separator combined with MOFs materials and carbon materials was also improved.The result showed that lithium batteries equipped with polypropylene separator combined with MOFs and carbon materials had higher capacity in the first charge and discharge cycle and better electrochemical kinetic reaction processes.

Research Progress of Carbon-Silicone Composite Materials

Silicone is a kind of polymer material with high cross-linked structure,which is com-posed by Si-O-Si main chain.Due to the special molecular chain structure,silicone mate-rials are characterized by oxidation resistance,aging resistance,high and low temperature resistance and chemical corrosion resistance.Moreover,silicone materials have process-able properties,simple forming process,good mechanical property,non-toxic and pollution-free.Therefore,silicone has been widely concerned by researchers at home and abroad.In this paper,the main research progress and application directions of carbon-silicone composite at home and abroad in recent years are reviewed.

Preparation and oxidation resistance of mullite/SiC coating for carbon materials at 1150 ℃

To protect carbon materials from oxidation, mullite/SiC coatings were prepared on graphite by chemical vapor reaction (CVR) and slurry sintering. The XRD analyses show that the phase of the outer-layer coating is composed of SiO2 and mullite, and the inner-layer coating is mainly composed of β-SiC. The anti-oxidation behavior of the coating and the Rockwell hardness (HRB) of the coating after oxidation were investigated. The oxidation test shows that the as-prepared multi-layer coating exhibits excellent antioxidation and thermal shock resistance at high temperature. After oxidation at 1150 ℃ for 109 h and thermal shock cycling between 1150 ℃ and room temperature for 12 times, the mass gain of the coated sample is 0.085%. Meanwhile, the indentation tests also demonstrate that the as-prepared coating has good bonding ability between the layers.

Effect of carbon fiber on thermal properties of n-Docosane phase change materials

The improvement of the heat transfer rate of phase change material（PCM）is studied by mixing with carbon fiber（CF）which is a good heat conductor.The composite PCM is prepared by blending CF and n-Docosane and its thermal performance is tested using the method of differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）analysis and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis（TG/DTA）.In addition,the influence of the mixing amount and the length of CF on the thermal conductivity of n-Docosane are investigated.The results show that CF can significantly improve the heat transfer rate of n-Docosane,and the mixing amount and the length of CF are two influence factors.The heat storage and release rates increase with the increase in the mixing amount of CF.Moreover,the melting point of n-Docosane is increased from 40.2 to 50.8 ℃ after being mixed with CF.The heating time is decreased from 720 to 660 s by mixing with 6% of CF,and is decreased to 600 s by mixing with 10% of CF.

Porous framework materials for energy&environment relevant applications:A systematic review

Carbon peaking and carbon neutralization trigger a technical revolution in energy&environment related fields.Development of new technologies for green energy production and storage,industrial energy saving and efficiency reinforcement,carbon capture,and pollutant gas treatment is in highly imperious demand.The emerging porous framework materials such as metal–organic frameworks(MOFs),covalent organic frameworks(COFs)and hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks(HOFs),owing to the permanent porosity,tremendous specific surface area,designable structure and customizable functionality,have shown great potential in major energy-consuming industrial processes,including sustainable energy gas catalytic conversion,energy-efficient industrial gas separation and storage.Herein,this manuscript presents a systematic review of porous framework materials for global and comprehensive energy&environment related applications,from a macroscopic and application perspective.

Heat transfer enhanced inorganic phase change material compositing carbon nanotubes for battery thermal management and thermal runaway propagation mitigation

Developing technologies that can be applied simultaneously in battery thermal management(BTM)and thermal runaway(TR)mitigation is significant to improving the safety of lithium-ion battery systems.Inorganic phase change material(PCM)with nonflammability has the potential to achieve this dual function.This study proposed an encapsulated inorganic phase change material(EPCM)with a heat transfer enhancement for battery systems,where Na_(2)HPO_(4)·12H_(2)O was used as the core PCM encapsulated by silica and the additive of carbon nanotube(CNT)was applied to enhance the thermal conductivity.The microstructure and thermal properties of the EPCM/CNT were analyzed by a series of characterization tests.Two different incorporating methods of CNT were compared and the proper CNT adding amount was also studied.After preparation,the battery thermal management performance and TR propagation mitigation effects of EPCM/CNT were further investigated on the battery modules.The experimental results of thermal management tests showed that EPCM/CNT not only slowed down the temperature rising of the module but also improved the temperature uniformity during normal operation.The peak battery temperature decreased from 76℃to 61.2℃at 2 C discharge rate and the temperature difference was controlled below 3℃.Moreover,the results of TR propagation tests demonstrated that nonflammable EPCM/CNT with good heat absorption could work as a TR barrier,which exhibited effective mitigation on TR and TR propagation.The trigger time of three cells was successfully delayed by 129,474 and 551 s,respectively and the propagation intervals were greatly extended as well.

Biomass-derived porous carbon materials for advanced lithium sulfur batteries

Biomass, as the most widely used carbon sources, is the main ingredient in the formation of fossil fuels. Biomass-derived novel carbons(BDNCs) have attracted much attention because of its adjustable physical/chemical properties, environmentally friendliness, and considerable economic value. Nature contributes to the biomass with bizarre microstructures with micropores, mesopores or hierarchical pores.Currently, it has been confirmed that biomass has great potential applications in energy storage devices,especially in lithium-sulfur(Li–S) batteries. In this article, the synthesis and function of BDNCs for Li–S batteries are presented, and the electrochemical effects of structural diversity, porosity and surface heteroatom doping of the carbons in Li-S batteries are discussed. In addition, the economic benefits, new trends and challenges are also proposed for further design excellent BDNCs for Li–S batteries.

A perspective on carbon materials for future energy application

Nanocarbon materials play a critical role in the development of new or improved technologies and devices for sustainable production and use of renewable energy. This perspective paper defines some of the trends and outlooks in this exciting area, with the effort of evidencing some of the possibilities offered from the growing level of knowledge, as testified from the exponentially rising number of publications, and putting bases for a more rational design of these nanomaterials. The basic members of the new carbon family are fullerene, graphene, and carbon nanotube. Derived from them are carbon quantum dots, nanohorn, nanofiber, nano ribbon, nanocapsulate, nanocage and other nanomorphologies. Second generation nanocarbons are those which have been modified by surface functionalization or doping with heteroatoms to create specific tailored properties. The third generation of nanocarbons is the nanoarchitectured supramolecular hybrids or composites of the first and second genera- tion nanocarbons, or with organic or inorganic species. The advantages of the new carbon materials, relating to the field of sustainable energy, are discussed, evidencing the unique properties that they offer for developing next generation solar devices and energy storage solutions.

Decomposition characteristics of organic materials and their effects on labile and recalcitrant organic carbon fractions in a semi-arid soil under plastic mulch and drip irrigation

Labile organic carbon （LC） and recalcitrant organic carbon （RC） are two major fractions of soil organic carbon （SOC） and play a critical role in organic carbon turnover and sequestration. The aims of this study were to evaluate the variations of LC and RC in a semi-arid soil （Inner Mongolia, China） under plastic mulch and drip irrigation after the application of organic materials （OMs）, and to explore the effects of OMs from various sources on LC and RC by probing the decomposition characteristics of OMs using in-situ nylon mesh bags burying method. The field experiment included seven treatments, i.e., chicken manure （CM）, sheep manure （SM）, mushroom residue （MR）, maize straw （MS）, fodder grass （FG）, tree leaves （TL） and no OMs as a control （CK）. Soil LC and RC were separated by Huygens D＇s method （particle size-density）, and the average soil mass recovery rate and carbon recovery rate were above 95%, which indicated this method was suitable for carbon pools size analysis. The LC and RC contents significantly （P〈0.01） increased after the application of OMs. Moreover, LC and RC contents were 3.2%-8.6% and 5.0%-9.4% higher in 2016 than in 2015. The applications of CM and SM significantly increased （P〈0,01） LC content and LC/SOC ratio, whereas they were the lowest after the application of TL. However, SOC and RC contents were significantly higher （P〈0.01） after the applications of TL and MS. The correlation analysis indicated the decomposition rate of OMs was positively related with LC content and LC/SOC ratio. In addition, lignin, polyphenol, WOM （total water-soluble organic matter）, WHA （water-soluble humic acid）, HSL （humicdike substance） and HAL （humic acid-like） contents in initial OMs played important roles in SOC and RC. In-situ nylon mesh bags burying experiment indicated the decomposition rates of CM, SM and MS were significantly higher than those of MR, FG, and TL. Furthermore, MS could result in more lignin derivatives, WHA, and HAL polymers in shorter time during the decomposition process. In conclusion, the application of MS in the semi-arid soil under a long-term plastic mulch and drip irrigation condition could not only improve soil fertility, but also enhance soil carbon sequestration.

Functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries

The synthetic routes of porous carbons and the applications of the functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries are reviewed. The synthetic methods have made great breakthroughs to control the pore size and volume, wall thickness, surface area, and connectivity of porous carbons, which result in the development of functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials. The effects of porous carbons on the electrochemical properties are further discussed. The porous carbons as ideal matrixes to incorporate active materials make a great improvement on the electrochemical properties because of high surface area and pore volume, excellent electronic conductivity, and strong adsorption capacity. Large numbers of the composite electrode materials have been used for the devices of electrochemical energy conversion and storage, such as lithium-ion batteries （LIBs）, Li-S batteries, and Li-O2 batteries. It is believed that functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials will continuously contribute to the field of lithium secondary batteries.

Research progress on carbon materials as negative electrodes in sodium-and potassium-ion batteries

Carbon materials,including graphite,hard carbon,soft carbon,graphene,and carbon nanotubes,are widely used as high-performance negative electrodes for sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries(SIBs and PIBs).Compared with other materials,carbon materials are abundant,low-cost,and environmentally friendly,and have excellent electrochemical properties,which make them especially suitable for negative electrode materials of SIBs and PIBs.Compared with traditional carbon materials,modifications of the morphology and size of nanomaterials represent effective strategies to improve the quality of electrode materials.Different nanostructures make different contributions toward improving the electrochemical performance of electrode materials,so the synthesis of nanomaterials is promising for controlling the morphology and size of electrode materials.This paper reviews the progress made and challenges in the use of carbon materials as negative electrode materials for SIBs and PIBs in recent years.The differences in Na+and K+storage mechanisms among different types of carbon materials are emphasized.

A Review on Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Porous Carbon-Based Novel Microwave Absorption Materials

The development of microwave absorption materials(MAMs) is a considerable important topic because our living space is crowed with electromagnetic wave which threatens human’s health.And MAMs are also used in radar stealth for protecting the weapons from being detected.Many nanomaterials were studied as MAMs,but not all of them have the satisfactory performance.Recently,metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) have attracted tremendous attention owing to their tunable chemical structures,diverse properties,large specific surface area and uniform pore distribution.MOF can transform to porous carbon(PC) which is decorated with metal species at appropriate pyrolysis temperature.However,the loss mechanism of pure MOF-derived PC is often relatively simple.In order to further improve the MA performance,the MOFs coupled with other loss materials are a widely studied method.In this review,we summarize the theories of MA,the progress of different MOF-derived PC-based MAMs,tunable chemical structures incorporated with dielectric loss or magnetic loss materials.The different MA performance and mechanisms are discussed in detail.Finally,the shortcomings,challenges and perspectives of MOF-derived PC-based MAMs are also presented.We hope this review could provide a new insight to design and fabricate MOF-derived PC-based MAMs with better fundamental understanding and practical application.