using_waste_matter_to_make_important_nanostructured_carbon(1).pdf

UniversityofBirminghamUsingwastemattertomakeimportantnanostructuredcarbon

ByDrZoeSchnepp(/staff/profiles/chemistry/schnepp-zoe.aspx)

FromfossilfuelstobuckyballsandCO2tonanotubes,carboniswellestablishedasakeyelementinourlives.Carbonhassomesurprisingapplicationsandtherecentresurgenceofcarboninmaterialsresearchpointstoabrightfutureforthiselement.Oneofthekeyfeaturesofcarbonisthatthepropertiesofthematerialcanbetunedtoadesiredapplication.Forexample,activatedcarbonshaveaveryhighsurfaceareathatcanadsorbpollutantsfromwaterorodours

fromair.Orderedgraphiticcarbons,suchasgrapheneorcarbonnanotubes,canhaveremarkableelectricalpropertiesthatmakethemdesirablefordevicessuchasbatteries.

Oneofthebigchallengesforthefutureofcarbonresearchishowtoincorporatesuchcomplexpropertiesintoasustainablematerial.Ifcarbonsaretoaddresskeychallengessuchascleanwaterandenergygenerationandstorage,theymustbesustainable.

AlargeareaofoursustainablematerialschemistryresearchatBirminghamistheuseofbiomasstoproduceusefulmaterials.Biomass,particularlyagricultural,industrialandfoodwaste,isanattractiveresourceasitisoftenofzeroorevennegativevaluetotheproducer.Foramaterialschemist,itisatreasuretroveofcomplexbiologicalchemicalssuchascelluloseandlignin.Inourresearch,wediscoverwaystoconvertthesebiologicalmaterialsintomaterialsforawiderangeofpotentialapplications,suchaswatertreatmentorbatteries.

Ourrecentlypublishedworklooksatmakingcarbonsfromsawdust.Intermsoftheprocess,itisnotsodifferentfrommakingcharcoal.Youtakesomewoodybiomassandheatitinanair-freeenvironment.Whatmakesourprocessspecialisthatweaddasolutionofironsaltstothesawdustbeforeheatingit.Theironisdispersedoverthewoodyfibresandduringtheheatingprocess,theironcompoundsbreakdowntoformnanoparticlesofamaterialcalledironcarbide.Thisisperhapsmorefamiliarasoneofthecomponentsofsteels.

Theironcarbidenanoparticlesburrowintothebiomass,alittlelikearabbitburrowingthroughtheground.Whatisleftbehindisessentiallyacarbonnanotubeandsotheresultofourprocessisasolidmaterialthatlooksalotlikecharcoal,butisfullofverytinyhollowtubes,eachone1000timessmallerthanahumanhair.Whatisparticularlyimportantabouttheprocessisthatwecancontroltheaveragesizeofthetubesandsowecanstarttodesignoursustainablecarbonsfordifferentapplications.Itsexcitingbecausethissimplemanufacturingmethodmayopenupnewareasforcarbonswithahighlyspecificstructure.

Notes

DrZoeSchneppwasawardedCollegeBestPublicationOctober2014forIron-catalyzedgraphitisationofbiomass".

ThispaperwaspublishedintheChemistryJournal,GreenChemistry(http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2015/gc/c4gc01673d)

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PostedonThursday5thFebruary2015

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