Search Results (4)

Hydrogen energy as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels necessitates the development of cost-effective and efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). While transition metal sulfides have shown promise, their practical application is hindered by insufficient active sites, poor conductivity, and suboptimal hydrogen adsorption kinetics. Herein, we present a heterointerface engineering strategy to construct Co₉S₈/FeCoS₂ heterojunctions anchored on bamboo fiber-derived nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Co₉S₈/FeCoS₂/BFPC) through hydrothermal synthesis and subsequent carbonization. BFPC carbon quasi-aerogel support not only offers a high surface area and conductive pathways but also enables uniform dispersion of active sites through nitrogen doping, which simultaneously optimizes electron transfer and mass transport. Experimental results demonstrate exceptional HER performance in alkaline media, achieving a low overpotential of 86.6 mV at 10 mA cm⁻², a Tafel slope of 68.87 mV dec⁻¹, and remarkable stability over 73 h of continuous operation. This work highlights the dual advantages of heterointerface design and carbon substrate functionalization, providing a scalable template for developing noble metal-free electrocatalysts for energy conversion technologies. Full article

1,4-dioxane is a potential carcinogen in water and is difficult to deal with due to its robust cycloether bond and complete miscibility with water. To remove 1,4-dioxane in an economically viable and environmentally friendly way, a series of carbon aerogels were synthesized as adsorbents for 1,4-dioxane. The experiment results showed that adsorption performances were closely related to the preparation conditions of carbon aerogels, such as the molar ratio, heating rate, pyrolysis temperature and residence time, which were carefully controlled. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed the presence of a three-dimensional porous network structure in carbon aerogels. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis results demonstrated an increase in specific surface area (673.89 m²/g) and total pore volume after carbonization, with an increase in mesoporous porosity and a decrease in microporosity. When considering each variable individually, the highest specific surface area of prepared carbon aerogels was achieved at a pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C, a holding time of 1 h, and a heating rate of 2 °C/min. Under optimal experimental conditions, the adsorption removal of 1,4-dioxane by carbon aerogels exceeded 95%, following quasi-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isothermal adsorption isotherms, indicating that monolayer adsorption on the surface of carbon aerogels occurred. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained was 67.28 mg/g at a temperature of 318 K, which was attributed to the presence of a large proportion of mesopores and abundant micropores simultaneously in carbon aerogels. Furthermore, with the interference of chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE), the removal efficiency of 1,4-dioxane had no obvious inhibition effect. Regeneration experiments showed that after five continuous cycles, the carbon aerogels still kept a comparable adsorption capacity, which illustrates its potential application in 1,4-dioxane-polluted water purification. Full article

In this paper, an ammonia–urea system was developed to induce the shedding of carboxymethylcellulose carbon aerogels to form defects, and the specific surface area of the aerogels was significantly increased after carbonization, and the three-dimensional disordered pore structure of cellulose was preserved. The material showed the selective adsorption of gadolinium ions using the carboxylate active sites provided by carboxymethylation and the microporous or mesoporous structures formed after carbon burning. The successful synthesis of the material was demonstrated by relevant characterization, and the results of static adsorption experiments showed that the material was more consistent with the quasi second-order kinetic model at pH = 5.0. The maximum adsorption capacity was 99.65 mg g⁻¹. The material showed a high adsorption capacity for gadolinium ions in the presence of competing ions and maintained 84.07% of the adsorption performance after five adsorption cycles. The simple use of urea ensured that the cellulose maintained its pore structure, and the specific surface area was greatly increased after carbonization, which provided a feasible direction for the industrial adsorption and recycling of rare-earth elements for reuse. Full article

This study presents a mass-production process for conductive carbon membrane-type sponge electrodes derived from recyclable cellulose biowaste. It includes an all-in-one hydrogel fabrication process for mass production, which significantly shortens the complex and expensive process for the conventional process of catalytic electrodes based on conductive supporting substrates such as the gas diffusion layer (GDL). The presence of pre-adsorbed melamine powder in the all-in-one hydrogel induces internal diffusion of the gaseous reactant for the uniform growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the sponge-like porous carbon aerogel with a relatively thick and tortuous pore structure, thereby providing the electrochemical properties and mechanical strength simultaneously required for the air electrodes of rechargeable and quasi solid-state zinc-air batteries. Full article