Issue 13, 2024

Preparation of nanocellulose-based nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel electrocatalysts through hydrothermal pretreatment for zinc–air batteries

Abstract

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) is an environmentally friendly material with a high specific surface area, which is an ideal candidate for cathode catalysts in zinc–air batteries (ZABs). However, untreated CNF-based carbon materials suffer from low intrinsic activity and fewer micro-mesopores. Herein, we developed an N-doped porous carbon aerogel from CNF and graphite phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4) via hydrothermal pretreatment and the carbonization process. The CNF can serve as the skeleton of the aerogel that leads to an interconnected porous structure, while g-C3N4 guarantees the in situ N doping and the formation of more nanopores. Therefore, the as-prepared carbon aerogel exhibits excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performances owing to the successful N doping with sufficient graphite-N and pyridine-N active sites (69.1%) and high specific surface areas (785.4 m2 g−1). The assembled ZABs with a carbon aerogel deliver a specific capacity of 790 mA h g−1 and an energy density of 945.6 W h kg−1 with a long-term stability over 100 h. This work opens a new avenue for the effective conversion of abundant biomass into bifunctional air cathodes for energy-related applications.

Graphical abstract: Preparation of nanocellulose-based nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel electrocatalysts through hydrothermal pretreatment for zinc–air batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Jan 2024
Accepted
12 Feb 2024
First published
22 Feb 2024

New J. Chem., 2024,48, 5582-5588

Preparation of nanocellulose-based nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel electrocatalysts through hydrothermal pretreatment for zinc–air batteries

Y. Wei, Y. Huang, Y. Pi, W. Yang, L. Wu, Y. Luo, Z. Chen, Y. Chen, G. Shi, X. Chi and X. Peng, New J. Chem., 2024, 48, 5582 DOI: 10.1039/D4NJ00219A

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