Fast one-pot microwave preparation and plasma modification of porous carbon from waste lignin for energy storage application. (15th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Weimin; Wang, Xin; Luo, Min; Yang, Pei; Zhou, Xiaoyan
• Is Part Of: Waste management. Volume 89(2019)
• Page Start: 129
• Page End: 140
• Publication Date: 2019-04-15
• Subjects: Lignin -- Carbon -- Electrode -- Rate capability; Hazardous wastes -- Periodicals; Refuse and refuse disposal -- Periodicals; 363.728
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2019.03.056
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-053X

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: One-pot preparation from lignin to porous carbon required only 30 min. Humidified nitrogen acted as an oxygen donor and physical activating agent. Porous carbon possessed a super high SBET value of 3198.4 m 2 g −1 . High specific capacitance and excellent rate capability were both achieved. Abstract: Because the commonly used two-step approach (carbonization followed by activation) usually produces microporous carbons and requires a long production duration, obtaining a low-cost porous-carbon-based supercapacitor with both high energy density and rate capability is a challenge. Herein, a more cost-effective one-pot approach via microwave heating in humidified N2 combined with water vapor plasma modification is proposed to obtain lignin-based porous carbon with a hierarchical and oxygen-enriched structure. Humidified microwave heating can produce hierarchical porous carbon with a high specific surface area ( SBET ) of 2866 m 2 g −1 and high mesopore content of 68.16%. Water vapor plasma modification not only results in a further development of the porosity with an increase in SBET by 11.6% but also results in the doping of oxygen (up to 33.43%). These characteristics ensure a high energy storage capacity and an excellent rate capability for the prepared supercapacitor, which exhibits the highest specific capacitance of 254.6 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 with a retention rate of 75.6% at 10 A g −1 . The results of this study confirm the good feasibility of the one-pot preparation approach combined with plasma modification for the effective use of waste lignin for advanced energy storage applications.