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.

Breaking the temperature limit of hydrothermal carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass by decoupling temperature and pressure

Hydrothermal carbonization(HTC) of lignocellulosic biomass is a promising technology for the production of carbon materials with negative carbon emissions. However, the high reaction temperature and energy consumption have limited the development of HTC technology. In conventional batch reactors, the temperature and pressure are typically coupled at saturated states. In this study, a decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal(DTPH) reaction system was developed to decrease the temperature of the HTC reaction of lignocellulosic biomass(rice straw and poplar leaves). The properties of hydrochars were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), thermogravimetric analyzer(TGA), etc. to propose the reaction mechanism. The results showed that the HTC reaction of lignocellulosic biomass could be realized at a low temperature of 200℃ in the DTPH process, breaking the temperature limit(230℃) in the conventional process. The DTPH method could break the barrier of the crystalline structure of cellulose in the lignocellulosic biomass with high cellulose content, realizing the carbonization of cellulose and hemicellulose with the dehydration, unsaturated bond formation, and aromatization. The produced hydrochar had an appearance of carbon microspheres, with high calorific values, abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, a certain degree of graphitization, and good thermal stability. Cellulose acts not only as a barrier to protect itself and hemicellulose from decomposition, but also as a key precursor for the formation of carbon microspheres. This study shows a promising method for synthesizing carbon materials from lignocellulosic biomass with a carbon-negative effect.

All-cellulose-based quasi-solid-state supercapacitor with nitrogen and boron dual-doped carbon electrodes exhibiting high energy density and excellent cyclic stability

The key to construct high-energy supercapacitors is to maximize the capacitance of electrode and the voltage of the device. Realizing this purpose by utilizing sustainable and low-cost resources is still a big challenge. Herein, N, B co-doped carbon nanosheets are obtained through the proposed dual-template assisted approach by using methyl cellulose as the precursor. Due to the synergistic effects form the high surface area with the hierarchical porous structure, N/B dual doping, and a high degree of graphitization, the resultant carbon electrode exhibits a high capacitance of 572 F g^(-1)at 0.5 A g^(-1)and retains 281 F g^(-1)at 50 A g^(-1)in an acidic electrolyte. Furthermore, the symmetric device assembled using bacterial cellulose-based gel polymer electrolyte can deliver high energy density of 43 W h kg^(-1)and excellent cyclability with 97.8% capacity retention after 20 000 cycles in “water in salt” electrolyte. This work successfully realizes the fabrication of high-performance allcellulose-based quasi-solid-state supercapacitors, which brings a cost-effective insight into jointly designing electrodes and electrolytes for supporting highly efficient energy storage.

Ni/Carbon Hybrid Prepared by Hydrothermal Carbonization and Thermal Treatment as Support for PtRu Nanoparticles for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Ni/Carbon was prepared in two steps： initially cellulose as carbon source and NiCl2·6H2O as catalyst of the carbonization process were submitted to hydrothermal treatment at 200 ℃ and further to thermal treatment at 900 ℃ under argon atmosphere. The obtained material contains Ni nanoparticles with face-centered cubic （fcc） structure dispersed on amorphous carbon with graphitic domains. PtRu/C electrocatalysts （carbon- supported PtRu nanoparticles） were prepared by an alcohol-reduction process using Ni/Carbon as support. The materials were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and tested as anodes in single direct methanol fuel cell （DMFC）. The performances of PtRu/C electrocatalysts using Ni/Carbon as support were superior to those obtained for PtRu/C using commercial carbon black Vulcan XC72 as support.

Preparation of porous carbon directly from hydrothermal carbonization of fructose and phloroglucinol for adsorption of tetracycline

Hydrothermal carbonization of biomass is a promising method to prepare carbonaceous materials.Generally,post physical or chemical activation is necessary to increase surface area and porosity of the carbon.Herein,porous carbonaceous material（FPC） with large surface area（481.7 m^2/g） and pore volume（0.73 cm^3/g） was prepared directly from hydrothermal carbonization of fructose and phloroglucinol in hydroalcoholic mixture.Structure characteristics of the FPC and its adsorption capacity for a representative antibiotic tetracycline in aqueous solution were investigated.This work provides a green and efficient method to fabricate porous carbonaceous adsorbent that has great potential applications in chemical and environmental fields.

Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications

Combustion within small motors is key in the application-specific development of nanothermite-based micro-energetic systems. This study evaluates the performance of nanothermite mixtures in a converging-diverging nozzle and an open tube. Mixtures were prepared using nano-aluminum(n-Al),potassium perchlorate(KClO_(4)), and different carbon nanomaterials(CNMs) including graphene-oxide(GO), reduced GO, carbon nanotubes(CNTs) and nanofibers(CNFs). The mixtures were packed at different densities and ignited by laser beam. Performance was measured using thrust measurement,high-speed imaging, and computational fluid dynamics modeling, respectively. Thrust, specific impulse(ISP), volumetric impulse(ISV), as well as normalized energy were found to increase notably with CNM content. Two distinctive reaction regimes(fast and slow) were observed in combustion of low and high packing densities(20% and 55%TMD), respectively. Total impulse(IFT) and ISPwere maximized in the 5%GO/Al/KClO_4 mixture, producing 7.95 m N·s and 135.20 s respectively at 20%TMD, an improvement of 57%compared to a GO-free sample(5.05 m N·s and 85.88 s). CFD analysis of the motors over predicts the thrust generated but trends in nozzle layout and packing density agree with those observed experimentally;peak force was maximized by reducing packing density and using an open tube. The numerical force profiles fit better for the nozzle cases than the open tube scenarios due to the rapid nature of combustion. This study reveals the potential of GO in improving oxygenated salt-based nanothermites,and further demonstrates their applicability for micro-propulsion and micro-energetic applications.

The Microparticles SiOx Loaded on PAN-C Nanofiber as Three-Dimensional Anode Material for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Three-dimensional C/SiOx nanofiber anode was prepared by polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)and polyacrylonitrile(PAN)as precursors via electrospinning and freeze-drying successfully.In contrast to conventional carbon cover-ing Si-based anode materials,the C/SiOx structure is made up of PAN-C,a 3D carbon substance,and SiOx load-ing steadily on PAN-C.The PAN carbon nanofibers and loaded SiOx from pyrolyzed PDMS give increased conductivity and a stable complex structure.When employed as lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)anode materials,C/SiOx-1%composites were discovered to have an extremely high lithium storage capacity and good cycle per-formance.At a current density of 100 mA/g,its reversible capacity remained at 761 mA/h after 50 charge-dis-charge cycles and at 670 mA/h after 200 cycles.The C/SiOx-1%composite aerogel is a particularly intriguing anode candidate for high-performance LIBs due to these appealing qualities.

Carbon dioxide catalytic conversion to nano carbon material on the iron–nickel catalysts using CVD-IP method

The over-consumption of fossil fuels resulted in the large quantity emission of carbon dioxide （CO2）, which was the main reason for the climate change and more extreme weathers. Hence, it is extremely pressing to ex- plore efficient and sustainable approaches for the carbon-neutral pathway of CO2 utilization and recycling. In our recent works with this context, we developed successfully a novel ＂chemical vapor deposition integrated process （CVD-IP）＂ technology to converting robustly CO2 into the value-added solid-form carbon materials, The monometallic FeNi0-Al2O3 （FNi0） and bimetallic FeNix-Al2O3 （FNi2, FNi4, FNi8 and FNi20） samples were synthesized and effective for this new approach. The catalyst labeled FNi8 gave the better performance, exhibited the single pass solid carbon yield of 30%. These results illustrated alternative promising cases for the CO2 capture utilization storage （CCUS）, by means of the CO2 catalytic conversion into the solid-form nano carbon materials.

Adsorption of phenol from aqueous solution by a hierarchical micro-nano porous carbon material

A hierarchical micro-nano porous carbon material (MNC) was prepared using expanded graphite (EG), sucrose, and phosphoric acid as raw materials, followed by sucrose-phosphoric acid solution impregnation, solidification, carbonization and activation. Nitrogen adsorption and mercury porosimetry show that mixed nanopores and micropores coexist in MNC with a high specific surface area of 1978 m2·g-1 and a total pore volume of 0.99 cm3·g-1. In addition, the MNC is found to consist of EG and activated carbon with the latter deposited on the interior and the exterior surfaces of the EG pores. The thickness of the activated carbon layer is calculated to be about one hundred nanometers and is further confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission election microscope (TEM). A maximum static phenol adsorption of 241.2 mg·g-1 was obtained by using MNC, slightly higher than that of 220.4 mg·g-1 by using commercial activated carbon (CAC). The phenol adsorption kinetics were investigated and the data fitted well to a pseudo-second-order model. Also, an intra-particle diffusion mechanism was proposed. Furthermore, it is found that the dynamic adsorption capacity of MNC is nearly three times that of CAC. The results suggest that the MNC is a more efficient adsorbent than CAC for the removal of phenol from aqueous solution.

Carbon Nano Material Synthesis from Polyethylene by Chemical Vapour Deposition

Three different types of Polyethylene family, High Density Polyethylene, (HDPE), Low Density polyethylene (LDPE) and Linear Low Density polyethylene (LLDPE) polymers having different molecular weight and density;were pyrolyzed in the temperature range of 550°C - 1050°C under H2, N2 and Ar gases. Taguchi Optimization technique was applied to find out the best operating conditions to get maximum yield of carbon nano material (CNM). For Taguchi op- timization, experimental set up was done in two different temperature ranges i.e. 550°C - 750°C and 850°C - 1050°C. CNMs synthesized were characterized by SEM, TEM, Micro Raman and XRD analysis. HDPE was found to yield maximum CNM. Its pyrolysis at 750°C under hydrogen atmosphere for 2h gave carbon nano beads and some carbon nano tubes. Whereas under same conditions at 1050°C more multi wall carbon nano tubes (MWCNT) were produced, with some carbon nano beads. XRD data confirmed the graphitic nature of carbon-nanotube. The intensities of G-band and D-band of Raman spectra suggested that CNM has more defect sites and spectra were similar for CNM obtained in both the temperature ranges. The TGA analysis of CNM obtained at 550°C - 750°C, indicated that they are not amor- phous carbon and CNM obtained at 850°C - 1050°C decomposed at 624°C - 668°C;suggesting that CNT synthesized at this temperature range were more crystalline than what was obtained at the 550°C - 750°C.

Microwave-assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis of Carbon Materials with Tunable Microstructure

A facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal route has been developed for a synthesis of versatile carbon materials. The monosaccharide fructose aqueous solution was adopted as the starting material, and the p H of the solution was adjusted to be in acidic（pH 4）, neutral（pH 7） and basic（pH 10.5） conditions. The p H buffered fructose solutions were treated at different temperatures by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique. As-prepared carbon materials displayed p H and temperature dependent multi-morphologies（porous, spherical or core-shell）, which were determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopic analyses（TEM and SEM）. And the hypothesis of dehydration mechanism of hydrothermal synthesis was analyzed by ultraviolet extinction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that as compared with normal hydrothermal synthesis, microwave assistance could efficiently increase the production yield and improve the spherical geometry of the carbon particles in neutral condition. By changing the p H of the system, acidic p H induces aggregation of the spheres, while basic p H produces more trends toward core-shell or sponge-like porous structure. The study opens a novel route to the production of polytropic carbon materials and suggests a potential niche market established from the green synthesis.

The Packaging Materials with Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composites

A polymer-based carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) composite with high electromagnetic (EM) wave shielding effectiveness (SE) and with high mechanical property is developed for packaging of electronic modulus or devices.The liquid crystal polymers (LCP) and melamine formaldehydes (MF) polymer are used to study the orientation effect of CNTs in various polymeric matrix.The influences of orientation,aspect ratio,and mass fraction of CNTs upon the shielding effectiveness (SE) of CNTs-composites are investigated.The higher the orientation,aspect ratio,and weight percentages of nano-materials are, the higher the SE of the carbon composites.The highest SE for the CNTs/LCP nano composite obtained is more than 62 dB. This results may lead to the developing for CPU IC chip packaging.

Agglomerating Growth of One-Dimensional Carbon Nano-Materials Synthesized from Ethanol Flames

One-dimensional carbon nano-materials （ODCNMs） synthesized from ethanol flames exhibit various agglomerated morphologies, such as ＂chrysanthemum-like＂, ＂hairball-like＂ or ＂orange-peel-like＂, ＂vertically aligned＂ and ＂wrinkling-pileup＂. The present work studied the agglomerating process and the growth mechanism by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It is thought that the size and distribution of the catalyst particles produced from pretreatment of the substrates play a key role during the formation of agglomerations. It is expected that the steady growth of ODCNMs in flames will be improved through the preparation of the catalysts.

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.

Synthesis of LiFePO_4 /C as cathode material by a novel optimized hydrothermal method

Olivine LiFePO 4 , as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries, was prepared by a novel optimized hydrothermal method; afterwards, the product mixed with glucose was two-step （350℃ and 700℃） calcinated under high-purity N 2 atmosphere to obtain the LiFePO 4 /C composite. The study on the hydrothermal preparation method, which focused on the influences of molar ratios, initial pH value, reaction temperature, and duration, was made to promote the resultant performances and to investigate the relations between the performances and the reaction conditions. The resultant samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and electrochemical tests, which include charge-discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The result shows that the optimal hydrothermal condition is to set the Li：Fe：P molar ratio at 3：1：1 and the reaction temperature at 180℃ for 5 h duration with an initial pH value of 7. The optimized sample, with an average particle size of 100 to 300 nm and a discharge capacity of 118.2 mAh·g-1 at 0.1C, exhibits a stable and narrow-gapped charge-discharge platform and small capacity losses after cycles.

Forced vibration analysis of nano-composite rotating pressurized microbeam reinforced by CNTs based on MCST with temperature-variable material properties

In this study, free and forced vibration analysis of nano-composite rotating pressurized microbeam reinforced by carbon nanotubes （CNTs） under magnetic field based on modify couple stress theory （MCST） with temperature-variable material propertiesis presented. Also, the boundary conditions at two ends of nano-composite rotating pressurized microbeam reinforced by CNTs are considered as simply supported. The governing equations are obtained based on the Hamilton＇s principle and then computed these equations by using Navier＇s solution. The magnetic field is inserted in the thickness direction of the nano-composite microbeam. The effects of various parameters such as angular velocity, temperature changes, and pressure between of the inside and outside, the magnetic field, material length scale parameter, and volume fraction of nanocomposite microbeam on the natural frequency and response systemare studied. The results show that with increasing volume fraction of nano-composite microbeam, thickness, material length scale parameter, and magnetic fields, the natural frequency increases. The results of this research can be used for optimization of micro-structures and manufacturing sensors, displacement fluid, and drug delivery.

Introduction on Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) and Its Applications in Electronic Circuits

Carbon Nanotubes(CNT)in nanotechnology field are legendary for its strength and chemical inertness.Technically,we can alter carbon nanotubes based on our necessities and requirements such as single layered nanotube,double layered nanotube,multi layered nanotube etc.In this paper usage of carbon nanotubes in semiconductor devices such as nanomaterials,molecular dynamics of nanomaterials,heterojunctions using carbon nanotubes,diodes and Graphene Field Effect Transistor(GFET),its characteristics and data analysis are discussed.The major application of carbon nanotubes in electronic circuits is not limiting to improves the electrical and thermal conductivity due to its high stretchability feature and they also have a long life span and better durability over traditional electronic circuit’s materials.

细菌纤维素基CNFs/ZnO吸波材料的制备及性能

随着电子信息技术的不断发展,电磁污染问题日益严重,高效吸波材料的研究受到越来越多的关注。该文以生物多孔材料细菌纤维素为碳源,采用碳化改性和水热法两步制备了细菌纤维素基CNFs/ZnO复合材料,研究了二水合醋酸锌的浓度对CNFs/ZnO复合材料吸波性能的影响。通过X射线衍射仪(XRD)、冷场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)、矢量网络分析仪(VNA)对复合材料的结构、形貌和吸波性能进行表征。结果表明:CNFs/ZnO复合材料被成功制备,其中碳纳米纤维(CNFs)没有明显的衍射峰,呈无定形状态;碳化和改性CNFs均保持了细菌纤维素三维网络多孔架构的精细纳米纤维微观形貌,但是CNFs变得卷曲且直径明显减小;CNFs/ZnO复合材料中,ZnO被紧密吸引在CNFs表面或随机插入CNFs的空隙中。通过改变二水合醋酸锌的浓度可以控制ZnO在复合材料中的含量,进而调控复合材料的电磁参数,获得良好的阻抗匹配。当二水合醋酸锌的浓度为0.25 mol/L时,ZnO在CNFs上分散得最为均匀,此时CNFs和ZnO的电阻损耗、介电损耗和界面极化等协同作用于三维多孔网络结构上,增加了复合材料对电磁波的多次反射、散射和长程耗散作用。该条件下制备的CNFs/ZnO复合材料,在涂层厚度为2.8 mm、频率为15.1 GHz附近时,其最佳反射损耗为−57.5 dB,有效吸收带宽为7.1 GHz,是一种可靠的复合吸波材料。

比较两种常见的前驱物合成的聚合物及碳基微球材料

聚合物/碳基微球材料以其独特的骨架结构、优异的物理化学性能及广阔的应用前景,成为当下纳米材料研究和开发的热点领域之一。近年来,人们发展了两种常见的前驱物——间苯二酚/甲醛和多巴胺,来相对容易地在实验室合成制备聚合物/碳基微球材料。对这两种前驱物的不同的组成、化学结构、聚合反应机理等进行了系统的比较。此外,围绕合成与应用,对该领域研究存在的机遇与挑战进行了合理的展望。