using_waste_matter_to_make_important_nanostructured_carbon(1).pdf
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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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