China HKUST achieve ultra-fine carbon nanofibers aerogels made from wood

Carbon nanofiber material having excellent physical properties due to the high specific surface, excellent mechanical properties and high electrical conductivity and the like received extensive attention has wide applications in the fields of energy, catalysis, environmental, and other polymers. Currently the rational design and synthesis and properties of nano-functionalized carbon fiber materials for application-specific optimization is still a bottleneck restricting its practical application. In particular, inexpensive, macro, sustainable prepared carbon nanofibers Aerogels has not been achieved. Recently, the University of Science and Technology of China Yushu Hong research team proposed a method to change the catalytic pyrolysis of wood pyrolysis process of nanometer cellulose, for the first time with cheap wood for high-quality ultra-fine carbon nanofiber airgel material prepared raw materials the achievement to \”Wood-Derived Ultrathin Carbon Nanofiber Aerogels\” in the title, published in the journal \”German applied Chemistry\” (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 7085-7090). The first author of the paper are doctoral student Li Sicheng. Ultrafine carbon nanofiber airgel material cellulosic material wood cellulose-based nano widely in plants in the natural world, due to its wide range of sources, low cost and environmentally friendly, the lignocellulosic material is a preparation of carbon nanofibers preferably airgel precursor. However, since the lignocellulosic nanofibers in the manufacture of extremely small size so that during the pyrolysis of carbon fibers can not be maintained with vigorous shrinkage fiber form, 2000 there was no precedent for the carbon nanofiber airgel wood raw material prepared successfully. To this end, researchers have proposed a process for catalytic pyrolysis of p-toluenesulfonic acid catalyst in the wood Nanocellulose rapid dehydration by the use of pre-pyrolysis, and pyrolysis process and alter its intermediates, such that pyrolysis nanocellulose while the rear has a high carbon yield, but also to maintain a good three-dimensional network structure. The catalytic conversion process may be pyrolytic precursor material rich inexpensive nature into high value-added carbon nanofiber material, guidance for the development of the synthesis of green chemistry renewable materials. The average diameter of the ultrafine carbon nanofibers produced by this method is only 6 nm, has a high electrical conductivity (710.9 S m-1) and a specific surface area (553 ~ 689 m2g-1). Due to its unique three dimensional network structure and excellent characteristics of electrical conductivity and a high specific surface area, developed by the team of the carbon nanofiber from wood airgel supercapacitors may be used directly without assembling binder, and ultracapacitor pure carbon material exhibits excellent capacitive properties, the new carbon nanofiber airgel is also applicable to water purification, and the cell electrode electrocatalyst support materials. After the paper was published, the academic media ScienceDaily, phys.org, Wiley NewsRoom etc. to \”Wood to supercapacitors\” in the title as the research highlights reported. Methods In recent years, the team continued to carry out a series of studies around the carbon nano-fiber materials synthesis, functionalization and application, develop a template guide hydrothermal carbonization of biomass and direct carbonized bacterial cellulose macro prepare carbon nanofibers airgel material to such material is based on a series of functional prepared through rational nanomaterials functionalized chemical modification method, and to explore the use of these materials in the field of environment, energy, catalysis and the like of the polymer composite (Acc. .. Chem Res 2013, 46, 1450-1461;.. Acc Chem Res 2016, 49, 96-105).. Recently, the team was invited titled as \”German Applied Chemistry\” write \”Emerging Carbon Nanofiber Aerogels: Chemosynthesis versus Biosynthesis\” comments the paper (Angew Chem Int Ed 2018, DOI:…. 10.1002 / anie.201802663), systems analysis the advantages and disadvantages series and chemical and biological conversion preparation of the carbon nano fiber material development team, summarizes the physicochemical properties, methods and uses functionalized carbon nanofibers material prepared two synthetic routes achieved in progress made recommendations for future study of carbon nanofiber airgel material and relevant scientific issues of concern in the future. National Natural Science Foundation of Innovative Research Groups, the National Natural Science Foundation of China Foundation, a major national scientific research plan, focusing on cutting-edge science to work by the Chinese Academy of Sciences aboveProject, Chinese Academy of nano-science innovation center of excellence, collaborative nanotechnology innovation center in Suzhou, Hefei Science Center funded a superior user funds.