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Zhang FW, Trackey PD, Verma V, Mandes GT, Calabro RL, Presot AW, Tsay CK, Lawton TJ, Zammit AS, Tang EM, Nguyen AQ, Munz KV, Nagelli EA, Bartolucci SF, Maurer JA, Burpo FJ. Cellulose Nanofiber-Alginate Biotemplated Cobalt Composite Multifunctional Aerogels for Energy Storage Electrodes. Gels 2023; 9:893. [PMID: 37998983 PMCID: PMC10671317 DOI: 10.3390/gels9110893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Tunable porous composite materials to control metal and metal oxide functionalization, conductivity, pore structure, electrolyte mass transport, mechanical strength, specific surface area, and magneto-responsiveness are critical for a broad range of energy storage, catalysis, and sensing applications. Biotemplated transition metal composite aerogels present a materials approach to address this need. To demonstrate a solution-based synthesis method to develop cobalt and cobalt oxide aerogels for high surface area multifunctional energy storage electrodes, carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and alginate biopolymers were mixed to form hydrogels to serve as biotemplates for cobalt nanoparticle formation via the chemical reduction of cobalt salt solutions. The CNF-alginate mixture forms a physically entangled, interpenetrating hydrogel, combining the properties of both biopolymers for monolith shape and pore size control and abundant carboxyl groups that bind metal ions to facilitate biotemplating. The CNF-alginate hydrogels were equilibrated in CaCl2 and CoCl2 salt solutions for hydrogel ionic crosslinking and the prepositioning of transition metal ions, respectively. The salt equilibrated hydrogels were chemically reduced with NaBH4, rinsed, solvent exchanged in ethanol, and supercritically dried with CO2 to form aerogels with a specific surface area of 228 m2/g. The resulting aerogels were pyrolyzed in N2 gas and thermally annealed in air to form Co and Co3O4 porous composite electrodes, respectively. The multifunctional composite aerogel's mechanical, magnetic, and electrochemical functionality was characterized. The coercivity and specific magnetic saturation of the pyrolyzed aerogels were 312 Oe and 114 emu/gCo, respectively. The elastic moduli of the supercritically dried, pyrolyzed, and thermally oxidized aerogels were 0.58, 1.1, and 14.3 MPa, respectively. The electrochemical testing of the pyrolyzed and thermally oxidized aerogels in 1 M KOH resulted in specific capacitances of 650 F/g and 349 F/g, respectively. The rapidly synthesized, low-cost, hydrogel-based synthesis for tunable transition metal multifunctional composite aerogels is envisioned for a wide range of porous metal electrodes to address energy storage, catalysis, and sensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felita W. Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Paul D. Trackey
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Vani Verma
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Galen T. Mandes
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Rosemary L. Calabro
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command-Armaments Center, Watervliet Arsenal, NY 12189, USA; (S.F.B.); (J.A.M.)
| | - Anthony W. Presot
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Claire K. Tsay
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Timothy J. Lawton
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command-Soldier Center, Natick, MA 01760, USA;
| | - Alexa S. Zammit
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Edward M. Tang
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Andrew Q. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Kennedy V. Munz
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
| | - Enoch A. Nagelli
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
- Photonics Research Center, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Stephen F. Bartolucci
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command-Armaments Center, Watervliet Arsenal, NY 12189, USA; (S.F.B.); (J.A.M.)
| | - Joshua A. Maurer
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command-Armaments Center, Watervliet Arsenal, NY 12189, USA; (S.F.B.); (J.A.M.)
| | - F. John Burpo
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (F.W.Z.); (P.D.T.); (V.V.); (G.T.M.); (R.L.C.); (A.W.P.); (C.K.T.); (A.S.Z.); (E.M.T.); (A.Q.N.); (K.V.M.); (E.A.N.)
- Photonics Research Center, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
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