Yang Yu, Yuxia Ouyang, Fei Xu, Tiefeng Wang, Xiaoyan Wei, Tongtong Wang and Yi Yao
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study presents a sustainable approach to large scale synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from nutshells, a widely available waste from biomass, using hydrogen peroxide (H2O) as the oxidizing agent in a hydrothermal process. The conditions of synthesis, including concentration of H2O2, reaction temperature and time, have been systematically optimized. The results show that optimal conditions include a concentration of 2.5% H2O2, a reaction temperature of 180 °C and a reaction time of 12 hours. The obtained CQDs have an average size of 3 nm and excellent fluorescence. The 2 L Parr reactor has been used to increase the production process and make it more viable for industrial applications. By-products of the reaction, including gas, liquid and solid residues, have been analyzed to understand the distribution of carbon. In addition, CQDs have been incorporated in dye-sensitive solar cells (DSSCs) where they have significantly improved the photovoltaic performance, with increased current density and overall efficiency. This work highlights the potential of biomass-based CQDs for the sustainable production of nanomaterials and for energy conversion applications, and offers a scalable and environmentally friendly alternative to synthesis of CQDs.
期刊介绍:
An international, peer-reviewed journal covering all of the chemical sciences, including multidisciplinary and emerging areas. RSC Advances is a gold open access journal allowing researchers free access to research articles, and offering an affordable open access publishing option for authors around the world.