| 1. |
- Schlee, Philipp, et al.
(författare)
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Free-standing supercapacitors from kraft lignin nanofibers with remarkable volumetric energy density
- 2019
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Ingår i: Chemical Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2041-6539. ; 10:10, s. 2980-2988
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have discovered a very simple method to address the challenge associated with the low volumetric energy density of free-standing carbon nanofiber electrodes for supercapacitors by electrospinning Kraft lignin in the presence of an oxidizing salt (NaNO3) and subsequent carbonization in a reducing atmosphere. The presence of the oxidative salt decreases the diameter of the resulting carbon nanofibers doubling their packing density from 0.51 to 1.03 mg cm−2 and hence doubling the volumetric energy density. At the same time, the oxidative NaNO3 salt eletrospun and carbonized together with lignin dissolved in NaOH acts as a template to increase the microporosity, thus contributing to a good gravimetric energy density. By simply adjusting the process parameters (amount of oxidizing/reducing agent), the gravimetric and volumetric energy density of the resulting lignin free-standing carbon nanofiber electrodes can be carefully tailored to fit specific power to energy demands. The areal capacitance increased from 147 mF cm−2 in the absence of NaNO3 to 350 mF cm−2 with NaNO3 translating into a volumetric energy density increase from 949 μW h cm−3 without NaNO3 to 2245 μW h cm−3 with NaNO3. Meanwhile, the gravimetric capacitance also increased from 151 F g−1 without to 192 F g−1 with NaNO3.
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| 2. |
- Schlee, Philipp, et al.
(författare)
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From waste to wealth : From kraft lignin to free-standing supercapacitors
- 2019
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Ingår i: Carbon. - : Elsevier BV. - 0008-6223 .- 1873-3891. ; 145, s. 470-480
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pure eucalyptus Kraft lignin derived carbon fiber mats were produced based on a model workflow. It covers the preparation and characterization of the lignin precursor and the carbon materials and its testing in the final application (supercapacitor). Sequential solvent extraction was employed to produce a eucalyptus Kraft lignin precursor which could be electrospun into lignin fibers without any additives. The fiber formation from low molecular weight lignin is assigned to strong intermolecular interactions via hydrogen bonding and π-π-stacking between individual lignin macromolecules which gives rise to association complexes in the electrospinning solution. By stabilization in air, carbonization in N2 and an activation step in CO2, free-standing microporous carbon fiber mats could be produced. These fiber mats possess mainly basic oxygen functional groups which proved to be beneficial when tested as free-standing electrodes in symmetric supercapacitors. Consequently, the CO2-activated fiber mats showed a high specific gravimetric capacitance of 155 F/g at 0.1 A/g, excellent rate capability with 113 F/g at 250 A/g and good capacitance retention of 94% after 6000 cycles when tested in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Therefore, we conclude that lignin itself is a promising precursor to produce microporous, oxygen functionalized carbon fibers serving as free-standing electrodes in aqueous supercapacitors.
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| 3. |
- Tapia-Ruiz, Nuria, et al.
(författare)
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2021 roadmap for sodium-ion batteries
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 2515-7655. ; 3:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increasing concerns regarding the sustainability of lithium sources, due to their limited availability and consequent expected price increase, have raised awareness of the importance of developing alternative energy-storage candidates that can sustain the ever-growing energy demand. Furthermore, limitations on the availability of the transition metals used in the manufacturing of cathode materials, together with questionable mining practices, are driving development towards more sustainable elements. Given the uniformly high abundance and cost-effectiveness of sodium, as well as its very suitable redox potential (close to that of lithium), sodium-ion battery technology offers tremendous potential to be a counterpart to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in different application scenarios, such as stationary energy storage and low-cost vehicles. This potential is reflected by the major investments that are being made by industry in a wide variety of markets and in diverse material combinations. Despite the associated advantages of being a drop-in replacement for LIBs, there are remarkable differences in the physicochemical properties between sodium and lithium that give rise to different behaviours, for example, different coordination preferences in compounds, desolvation energies, or solubility of the solid-electrolyte interphase inorganic salt components. This demands a more detailed study of the underlying physical and chemical processes occurring in sodium-ion batteries and allows great scope for groundbreaking advances in the field, from lab-scale to scale-up. This roadmap provides an extensive review by experts in academia and industry of the current state of the art in 2021 and the different research directions and strategies currently underway to improve the performance of sodium-ion batteries. The aim is to provide an opinion with respect to the current challenges and opportunities, from the fundamental properties to the practical applications of this technology.
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| 4. |
- Man, Zhang, et al.
(författare)
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Facile one-step synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity of WC/ferroelectric nanocomposite
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 9:40, s. 22861-22870
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The development of noble-metal-free co-catalysts is seen as a viable strategy for improving the performance of semiconductor photocatalysts. Although the photocatalytic efficiency of ferroelectrics is typically low, it can be enhanced through the incorporation of a co-catalyst into nanocomposites. Here, we demonstrate the influence of ferroelectricity on the decolorization of rhodamine B under simulated solar light using RbBi2Ti2NbO10 and compared the performance with that of non-ferroelectric RbBi2Nb5O16. The decolorization rate for RbBi2Ti2NbO10 was 5 times greater than that of RbBi2Nb5O16. This behaviour can be explained in terms of ferroelectric polarization, which drives the separation of charge carriers. The photocatalytic activity of RbBi2Ti2NbO10 was further enhanced to over 30 times upon preparing a nanocomposite with tungsten carbide (WC) through high energy ball milling. This enhancement was attributed not only to the increased specific surface area, but also to the incorporated WC co-catalyst, which also serves as a source of plasmonic hot electrons and extends the photocatalytic activity into the visible light range. The WC/RbBi2Ti2NbO10 nanocomposite shows interesting water oxidation properties and evolves O-2 with a rate of 68.5 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) and a quantum yield of 3% at 420 nm. This work demonstrates a simple route for preparing WC containing nano-ferroelectric composites for solar energy conversion applications.
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| 5. |
- Modugno, Pierpaolo, et al.
(författare)
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Hydrothermal carbonisation and its role in catalysis
- 2019
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Ingår i: Advanced Carbon Materials from Biomass. - : GreenCarbon Projec and Consortium. ; , s. 111-124
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This chapter provides an overview of the most recent advances in the mechanistic study of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) and the strategies to improve the conversion by using carbon-based catalysts. HTC, although not a recent discovery, has lately been receiving increasingly attention by both academic and industrial sectors due to the possibility to exploit this process to perform a simple, green and inexpensive conversion of bio-derived waste material into valuable chemicals and advanced materials and, as such, this chapter will also look into the use of hydrochars formed in HTC and their application in catalysis, more specifically heterogeneous catalysis with a mention on electrocatalysis. The versatility and tuneability of these solids give rise to the great range of applicability in different fields. A detailed overview of the HTC process is presented and the main uses of hydrochars in catalysis is then shown, highlighting their use as solid acid catalysts, as pristine solid catalysts, as sacrificial agents in synthesis, since their removal through combustion is easy, and the niche application of these solids in electrocatalysis for future research perspective.
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| 6. |
- Nicolae, Sabina A., et al.
(författare)
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Recent advances in hydrothermal carbonisation : from tailored carbon materials and biochemicals to applications and bioenergy
- 2020
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Ingår i: Green Chemistry. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9262 .- 1463-9270. ; 22:15, s. 4747-4800
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduced in the literature in 1913 by Bergius, who at the time was studying biomass coalification, hydrothermal carbonisation, as many other technologies based on renewables, was forgotten during the industrial revolution. It was rediscovered back in 2005, on the one hand, to follow the trend set by Bergius of biomass to coal conversion for decentralised energy generation, and on the other hand as a novel green method to prepare advanced carbon materials and chemicals from biomass in water, at mild temperature, for energy storage and conversion and environmental protection. In this review, we will present an overview on the latest trends in hydrothermal carbonisation including biomass to bioenergy conversion, upgrading of hydrothermal carbons to fuels over heterogeneous catalysts, advanced carbon materials and their applications in batteries, electrocatalysis and heterogeneous catalysis and finally an analysis of the chemicals in the liquid phase as well as a new family of fluorescent nanomaterials formed at the interface between the liquid and solid phases, known as hydrothermal carbon nanodots.
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| 7. |
- Nicolae, Sabina A., et al.
(författare)
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Refined biocarbons for gas adsorption and separation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Advanced Carbon Materials from Biomass. - : GreenCarbon Project and Consortium. ; , s. 83-100
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nowadays challenges presented by the growing population and excessive consumption of fossil fuels can be overcome by developments of renewable and green technologies for energy production and storage, air depollution and water treatment. For diminution of gaseous pollutants CO2, CH4, and H2S; adsorption processes are in several cases bringing both economic and environment advantages, over other technologies. Zeolites and porous carbon materials are the most popular adsorbents studied for gas capture. Porous carbon materials are studied and used because of affordability, availability, high hydrophobicity, and reusability. They have been popular in applications since long time. The first recorded case dates back to 3750 BC, when Egyptians and Sumerians used wood char for the reduction of copper, zinc and tin ores in the manufacture of bronze. Later on, around 1550 BC, the Egyptians used such carbon materials for medicinal purposes. Present day applications use porous carbons for environmental remediation, gas storage, catalysis and energy storage.
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| 8. |
- Oxelbark, Joakim, et al.
(författare)
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Chromatographic comparison of bupivacaine imprinted polymers prepared in crushed monolith, microsphere, silica-based composite and capillary monolith formats
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Chromatography A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9673. ; 1160:1-2, s. 215-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A comprehensive comparison of five chromatographic stationary phases based on molecularly imprinted polymers is presented. Efficiency, imprinting factors, water compatibility and batch-to-batch reproducibility are discussed for crushed monolith, microspheres, two silica-based composites and capillary monoliths, all imprinted with the local anaesthetic bupivacaine. Synthesis protocol and chromatographic test conditions have been kept fixed within certain limits, in order to provide further insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the different formats. Excluding microparticles, all formats give satisfactory performance, especially in aqueous mobile phases. An assessment of batch-to-batch reproducibility in different mobile phases adds further value to this comparison study.
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| 9. |
- Schlee, Philipp, et al.
(författare)
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Hardwood : versus softwood Kraft lignin-precursor-product relationships in the manufacture of porous carbon nanofibers for supercapacitors
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 8:44, s. 23543-23554
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The process of stabilization is essential in the production of carbon fibers from lignins. During stabilization, the initially thermoplastic lignin polymer is converted to a thermoset polymer allowing for high-temperature treatment without a change in shape. In this work, hardwood (HKL) and softwood (SKL) Kraft lignins were stabilized in air at temperatures between 190 and 340 °C before carbonization at 800 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. Due to the differences in side-chain linkages, functional groups and molar mass, the lignins exhibit different structural changes upon stabilization and hence develop different porosities upon carbonization. Both lignins undergo major crosslinking reactions in the side chains at low temperatures and degradation reactions at high temperatures during stabilization. Crosslinking gives rise to narrow pore size distributions with mainly (sub-) nanometer pores, whereas degradation reactions lead to a more open pore structure with additional mesoporosity (>2 nm). When both types of reactions take place simultaneously, highly accessible (sub-) nanoporosity can be effectively created, which boosts the performance of supercapacitors operating in 6 M KOH(aq). This effect terminates when the crosslinking reactions cease and mainly degradation reactions take place, which occurs in HKL at 340 °C. SKL shows both a lower degree of crosslinking and degradation and hence develops less specific surface area. The optimum performance in an aqueous alkaline supercapacitor is achieved with HKL stabilized at 310 °C. It shows a specific gravimetric capacitance of 164 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and 119 F g-1 at 250 A g-1 with a capacitance retention of more than 90% after 10 000 cycles.
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| 10. |
- Wang, Liping, et al.
(författare)
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Carbon aerogels from bacterial nanocellulose as anodes for lithium ion batteries
- 2014
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Ingår i: RSC Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2046-2069. ; 4:34, s. 17549-17554
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon aerogels with large open pores and high surface area are fabricated via pyrolysis of a readily available natural resource, e. g., bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) aerogels. Freeze-drying of the BNC hydrogels is used to preserve the 3D open network structure upon calcination whereas using Fe(III) improves the yield and H/C ratio. These carbon aerogels are explored as anodes in lithium ion batteries where it is shown that they deliver superior capacity retention and rate performance compared to other carbon-based materials.
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