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Carbon nanomaterials have stimulated the interest of researchers working on next-generation sustainability and renewable technologies due to their remarkable physical and chemical features, such as lightness, high conductance, and chemical inertness. A recent study published in the journal Carbon suggests a unique method for producing dimension-controlled carbon nanostructures based on metal-organic compounds.

​​​​​​​Study: Dimension-controlled N-doped graphitic carbon nanostructures through low-temperature metal-catalyzed transformation from C3N4 for high-performance electrochemical barrier in lithium-sulfur batteries. Image Credit: Black_Kira/Shutterstock.com

The significance of generating new forms of energy is clear from the fact that fossil fuel consumption has been expanding at an astounding pace due to international economic development, growing populations, and ever-increasing societal dependency on energy-based appliances.

To achieve this goal, enhanced energy production (e.g., solar panels and biofuel) and storage (e.g., supercapacitors and rechargeable fuel cells) technologies are being widely researched across the globe.  Nanotechnology has opened up new possibilities in materials science and engineering. Carbon nanomaterials, in particular, are an essential technology for the development of high-performance energy storage devices.

When compared to traditional energy materials, carbon nanomaterials have several remarkable size/surface-dependent (e.g., structural, electromagnetic, photonic, and physical) features that can be used to improve energy production and storage efficiency.

Carbon nanomaterials' morphologies, dimensions, and surface capabilities all play important roles in determining their activities for certain energy generation and conservation applications. However, fabricating dimension-controlled carbon nanomaterials with physical and chemical processability is still a major challenge.

Current methods are limited to changing existing features and structures, requiring time-consuming and complex procedures. As a result, it is critical to provide a readily accessible synthesis platform capable of constructing dimension-controllable carbon nanomaterials with critical functionalities for focused applications.

Batteries beyond the basic boundaries of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) platform are critical for transforming away from fossil fuels. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are among the most developed of these "beyond Li-ion" systems. The metal-rich cathode of Li-ion cells is replaced with comparably inexpensive and plentiful elemental sulfur in Li-S cells.

A 'transformation process' powers Li-S batteries. To transfer the energy contained in the cell, elemental sulfur and lithium combine to generate a succession of lithium-containing sulfur substances called polysulfides. However, one significant issue with Li-S batteries is that they suffer from polysulfide relocation and slow reaction rates.

In this study, the researchers devised a flexible synthesis approach for one- and two-dimensional carbon nanomaterials that makes use of varied graphitization activity depending on the metallic ions used. pH-dependent coupling processes between metallic ions and tannic acid monomers were used to produce the metal-organic compounds. To provide nitrogen sources, more melamine molecules were combined with these compounds.

Direct thermal treatment of the obtained metal-organic compounds resulted in graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) synthesis by polycondensation of tannic acid and melamine. g-C3N4 was transformed into carbon nanostructures with N-doping and metal nanoparticles decorating the carbon layer during thermal processing.

The materials developed within this work may be employed as an electrochemical barrier in Li-S batteries to limit polysulfide movement and boost storage capability.

Due to the nitrogen-doped interaction areas, both one and two-dimensional carbon nanomaterials show excellent polysulfide collecting capacity when used as a barrier in Li-S batteries.

Based on metal-organic interaction, the researcher developed a simple strategy for fabricating dimension-controlled multifunctional nanomaterials. It was thoroughly proven that metal ions influenced the graphitization behavior of metal-organic compounds, resulting in varied dimensions of carbon nanostructures based on metal ion oxidizing inclination.

The nitrogen molecules on the surface of the carbon nanomaterials provided additional capabilities to the nanomaterials in addition to their distinctive dimensional shape. Therefore, as electrochemical barriers for Li–S battery packs, the produced carbon nanomaterials demonstrated an exceptional blocking performance for lithium polysulfides as well as a remarkable catalytic impact on the conversion process.

It is anticipated that the proposed fabrication process in this study will pave the way for the production of unique carbon nanomaterials and encourage further advancements in energy and climate change research.

Park, J. S. et al. (2022). Dimension-controlled N-doped graphitic carbon nanostructures through low-temperature metal-catalyzed transformation from C3N4 for high-performance electrochemical barrier in lithium-sulfur batteries. Carbon. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008622322003657?via%3Dihub

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

Hussain graduated from Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad with Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering. During his studies, he worked on several research projects related to Aerospace Materials & Structures, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Nano-technology & Robotics. After graduating, he has been working as a freelance Aerospace Engineering consultant. He developed an interest in technical writing during sophomore year of his B.S degree and has wrote several research articles in different publications. During his free time, he enjoys writing poetry, watching movies and playing Football.

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