Nitrogen-doped porous carbon monoliths from molecular-level dispersion of carbon nanotubes into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and the effect of carbonization process for supercapacitors. (March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Yanqing; Wang, Jinying; Morimoto, Shingo; Hong Melvin, Gan Jet; Zhao, Ruiqi; Hashimoto, Yoshio; Terrones, Mauricio
• Is Part Of: Carbon. Volume 143(2019)
• Page Start: 776
• Page End: 785
• Publication Date: 2019-03
• Subjects: Polyacrylonitrile -- Carbon nanotubes -- Molecular-level dispersion (mono-dispersion) -- Supercapacitors; Carbon -- Periodicals; Carbone -- Périodiques; Koolstof; Toepassingen; Electronic journals; 546.681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2018.11.024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-6223

Abstract

Abstract: Nitrogen-doped porous carbon monoliths (NDP-CMs) have long been pursued as the desirable supercapacitor electrode materials. However, the currently effective template methods and Lewis acid/base activation strategy suffer from the drawbacks of either high costs or tedious steps. We report on a simple and practicable novel method to the production of CNTs constructed NDP-CMs. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) contained carbon nanotubes (CNTs), being dispersed into tubular level of dispersions (mono-dispersions), were used as the starting material and NDP-CMs were obtained through a direct carbonization process. First, PAN/CNT based mesostructured polymeric monoliths with interconnected networks were formed using a template-free temperature-induced phase separation (TTPS) method and the mono-dispersed CNTs networks act as the backbones of PAN molecules. Then, NDP-CMs with a surface area of 840 m 2 /g and a pore diameter 2.48 nm were obtained through heat treatment. Thus, the NDP-CMs based supercapacitor demonstrated a reversible specific capacitance of 246 F/g. Furthermore, pyridinic nitrogen and quaternary nitrogen species contribute significantly to the advantageous electrochemical activities of NDP-CMs. Graphical abstract: