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Reddygunta KKR, Callander A, Šiller L, Faulds K, Berlouis L, Ivaturi A. Scalable slot-die coated flexible supercapacitors from upcycled PET face shields. RSC Adv 2024; 14:12781-12795. [PMID: 38645514 PMCID: PMC11027888 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra06809e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Upcycling Covid19 plastic waste into valuable carbonaceous materials for energy storage applications is a sustainable and green approach to minimize the burden of waste plastic on the environment. Herein, we developed a facile single step activation technique for producing activated carbon consisting of spherical flower like carbon nanosheets and amorphous porous flakes from used PET [poly(ethylene terephthalate)] face shields for supercapacitor applications. The as-obtained activated carbon exhibited a high specific surface area of 1571 m2 g-1 and pore volume of 1.64 cm3 g-1. The specific capacitance of these carbon nanostructure-coated stainless steel electrodes reached 228.2 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 current density with excellent charge transport features and good rate capability in 1 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. We explored the slot-die coating technique for large-area coatings of flexible high-performance activated carbon electrodes with special emphasis on optimizing binder concentration. Significant improvement in electrochemical performance was achieved for the electrodes with 15 wt% Nafion concentration. The flexible supercapacitors fabricated using these electrodes showed high energy and power density of 21.8 W h kg-1 and 20 600 W kg-1 respectively, and retained 96.2% of the initial capacitance after 10 000 cycles at 2 A g-1 current density. The present study provides a promising sustainable approach for upcycling PET plastic waste for large area printable supercapacitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Kumar Reddy Reddygunta
- Smart Materials Research and Device Technology (SMaRDT) Group, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde Thomas Graham Building Glasgow G1 1XL UK
| | - Andrew Callander
- Centre for Molecular Nanometrology, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Technology Innovation Centre 99 George Street Glasgow G1 1RD UK
| | - Lidija Šiller
- Newcastle University, School of Engineering Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU UK
| | - Karen Faulds
- Centre for Molecular Nanometrology, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Technology Innovation Centre 99 George Street Glasgow G1 1RD UK
| | - Leonard Berlouis
- Smart Materials Research and Device Technology (SMaRDT) Group, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde Thomas Graham Building Glasgow G1 1XL UK
| | - Aruna Ivaturi
- Smart Materials Research and Device Technology (SMaRDT) Group, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde Thomas Graham Building Glasgow G1 1XL UK
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Norgren M, Costa C, Alves L, Eivazi A, Dahlström C, Svanedal I, Edlund H, Medronho B. Perspectives on the Lindman Hypothesis and Cellulose Interactions. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28104216. [PMID: 37241956 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28104216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the history of cellulose chemistry, hydrogen bonding has been the predominant explanation when discussing intermolecular interactions between cellulose polymers. This is the general consensus in scholarly textbooks and in many research articles, and it applies to several other biomacromolecules' interactions as well. This rather unbalanced description of cellulose has likely impacted the development of materials based on the processing of cellulose-for example, via dissolution in various solvent systems and regeneration into solid materials, such as films and fibers, and even traditional wood fiber handling and papermaking. In this review, we take as a starting point the questioning of the general description of the nature of cellulose and cellulose interactions initiated by Professor Björn Lindman, based on generic physicochemical reasoning about surfactants and polymers. This dispute, which became known as "the Lindman hypothesis", highlights the importance of hydrophobic interactions in cellulose systems and that cellulose is an amphiphilic polymer. This paper elaborates on Björn Lindman's contribution to the subject, which has caused the scientific community to revisit cellulose and reconsider certain phenomena from other perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Norgren
- Surface and Colloid Engineering, FSCN Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Carolina Costa
- Surface and Colloid Engineering, FSCN Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Luís Alves
- Department of Chemical Engineering, CIEPQPF-Chemical Processes and Forest Products Engineering Research Centre, University of Coimbra, Pólo II-R. Silvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Alireza Eivazi
- Surface and Colloid Engineering, FSCN Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Christina Dahlström
- Surface and Colloid Engineering, FSCN Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Ida Svanedal
- Surface and Colloid Engineering, FSCN Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Håkan Edlund
- Surface and Colloid Engineering, FSCN Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Bruno Medronho
- Surface and Colloid Engineering, FSCN Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
- MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Ed. 8, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
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Avant-Garde Polymer and Nano-Graphite-Derived Nanocomposites—Versatility and Implications. Mol Vis 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/c9010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Graphite (stacked graphene layers) has been modified in several ways to enhance its potential properties/utilities. One approach is to convert graphite into a unique ‘nano-graphite’ form. Nano-graphite consists of few-layered graphene, multi-layered graphene, graphite nanoplatelets, and other graphene aggregates. Graphite can be converted to nano-graphite using physical and chemical methods. Nano-graphite, similar to graphite, has been reinforced in conducting polymers/thermoplastics/rubbery matrices to develop high-performance nanocomposites. Nano-graphite and polymer/nano-graphite nanomaterials have characteristics that are advantageous over those of pristine graphitic materials. This review basically highlights the essential features, design versatilities, and applications of polymer/nano-graphite nanocomposites in solar cells, electromagnetic shielding, and electronic devices.
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Razaz G, Arshadirastabi S, Blomquist N, Örtegren J, Carlberg T, Hummelgård M, Olin H. Aluminum Alloy Anode with Various Iron Content Influencing the Performance of Aluminum-Ion Batteries. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:933. [PMID: 36769941 PMCID: PMC9917774 DOI: 10.3390/ma16030933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Considerable research has been devoted to the development of cathode materials for Al-ion batteries, but challenges remain regarding the behavior of aluminum anodes. Inert oxide (Al2O3) film on Al surfaces presents a barrier to electrochemical activity. The structure of the oxide film needs to be weakened to facilitate ion transfer during electrochemical activity. This study addresses oxide film challenges by studying Al alloy anodes with different iron content. The results reveal that using an anode of 99% Al 1% Fe in a cell increases the cycling lifetime by 48%, compared to a 99.99% Al anode. The improvement observed with the 99% Al 1% Fe anode is attributed to its fractional surface area corrosion being about 12% larger than that of a 99.99% Al anode. This is coupled to precipitation of a higher number of Al3Fe particles, which are evenly scattered in the Al matrix of 99% Al 1% Fe. These Al3Fe particles constitute weak spots in the oxide film for the electrolyte to attack, and access to fresh Al. The addition of iron to an Al anode thus offers a cheap and easy route for targeting the oxide passivating film challenge in Al-ion batteries.
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Cermak M, Perez N, Collins M, Bahrami M. Material properties and structure of natural graphite sheet. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18672. [PMID: 33122759 PMCID: PMC7596098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75393-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural graphite sheet (NGS) is compressible, porous, electrically and thermally conductive material that shows a potential to be used in fuel cells, flow batteries, electronics cooling systems, supercapacitors, adsorption air conditioning, and heat exchangers. We report the results of an extensive material characterization study that focuses on thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, electrical conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), compression strain, and emissivity. All the properties are density-dependent and highly anisotropic. Increasing the compression from 100 to 1080 kPa causes the through-plane thermal and electrical conductivities to increase by up to 116% and 263%, respectively. The properties are independent of the sheet thickness. Thermal and electrical contact resistance between stacked NGS is negligible at pressures 100 to 1080 kPa. In the in-plane direction, NGS follows the Wiedemann-Franz law with Lorenz number 6.6 [Formula: see text] 10[Formula: see text] W [Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text]. The in-plane CTE is low and negative (shrinkage with increasing temperature), while the through-plane CTE is high, increases with density, and reaches 33 [Formula: see text] 10[Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text]. Microscope images are used to study the structure and relate it to material properties. An easy-to-use graphical summary of the forming process and NGS properties are provided in Appendices A and B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Cermak
- Laboratory for Alternative Energy Conversion, School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, 250-13450 102 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 0A3, Canada.
| | - Nicolas Perez
- Laboratory for Alternative Energy Conversion, School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, 250-13450 102 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 0A3, Canada
- The Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, 20 Avenue Albert Einstein, 69621, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Michael Collins
- Solar Thermal Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Majid Bahrami
- Laboratory for Alternative Energy Conversion, School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, Simon Fraser University, 250-13450 102 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 0A3, Canada.
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Koppolu R, Blomquist N, Dahlström C, Toivakka M. High-Throughput Processing of Nanographite–Nanocellulose-Based Electrodes for Flexible Energy Devices. Ind Eng Chem Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.0c01112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Koppolu
- Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Nicklas Blomquist
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Christina Dahlström
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Martti Toivakka
- Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland
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