Carbon Letters最新文献

The study investigated a method of synthesizing a pitch suitable for making activated carbon using fluid catalytic cracking-decant 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.

pH plays a pivotal role in influencing various aspects of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions in electrochemical systems. These reactions are affected by pH in terms of mass transport, electrochemical double layer (EDL) structure, and surface adsorption energy, all of which impact the overall electrochemical processes. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research progress made in elucidating the effects of pH on different electrochemical reactions, the hydrogen evolution reaction/hydrogen oxidation reaction (HER/HOR), oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction (ORR/OER), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR). To embark on this endeavor, we have conducted a bibliometric analysis to clearly outline of the research trends and advancements in the field concerning the pH effects. Subsequently, we present a systematic overview of the mechanisms governing these reactions, with a special focus on pH’s influence on both the proton and electron aspects. We conclude by discussing the current challenges in this area and suggesting future research avenues that could further our understanding of pH's role in electrochemical reactions.

Graphical abstract

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.

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 CoS_x@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 (E_onset) of 0.923 V and half-wave potential (E_1/2) 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.

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.

Graphical abstract

Carbon foam composites containing hollow microspheres, reinforced by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and montmorillonite (MMT), have been developed as the thermal insulation and EMI shielding layer. The effects of additive amounts of CNTs/MMT on microstructure and properties of the carbon foam composites were investigated. Results showed that carbon foam composites had hierarchical porous structure, with CNTs and MMT being relatively uniformly dispersed in the composites. The addition of multiscale additives improved the mechanical, electromagnetic shielding effectiveness and thermal insulation properties of carbon foam composites. The composites containing 0.2 wt.% CNTs and 5 wt.% MMT, showed outstanding compressive strength, up to 8.54 MPa, increased by 116% to pure carbon foam. Their electromagnetic shielding effectiveness was as high as 65 dB, increased by 75%. Due to the hierarchical porous structure and MMT’s heat barrier effect, carbon foam composites presented remarkable thermal insulation properties. The minimum thermal conductivity was 0.45 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at 800 °C. Their exceptional thermal protection can also be evidenced by ablation resistance under flame at 1000 °C. Therefore, such multifunctional carbon-based composites are ideal for use in thermal protection.

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). Zero-dimensional (0D) TiO₂, TiN and N-doped carbon nanoparticles were in situ formed and randomly anchored on the two-dimensional (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.