Self-nitrogen-doped porous biochar derived from kapok (Ceiba insignis) fibers: Effect of pyrolysis temperature and high electrochemical performance

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2018.01.005

Abstract

Abstract:

Self-nitrogen-doped porous biochar derived from kapok fibers possesses unique structure and excellent electrochemical performance. In this study, one-step pyrolysis method was introduced to prepare porous biochar from kapok fibers, and effect of pyrolysis temperature on structure and electrochemical performance of the porous biochar was investigated. It was found that pyrolysis temperature played an important role in determining microstructure of the biochar. At the pyrolysis temperature of 750 °C, the as-prepared biochar (C_KF-750) represented a largest specific surface area of 1125.7 m² g^-1 and pore volume of 0.7130 m³ g^-1, and hence brings C_KF-750 a highest specific capacitance of 283 F g^-1 at a current density of 1 A g^-1 in a 6 mol L^-1 KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, the cycle stability of C_KF-750 was wonderful, and the specific capacitance retained almost constant after 10000 cycles. Therefore, the pyrolysis temperature of 750 °C is optimal for the preparation of porous biochar as an outstanding electrode material for supercapacitor.

Key words: Kapok fiber, Porous biochar, Self-nitrogen-doped, One-step pyrolysis, Electrochemical performance

Jun-Rui Wang, Feng Wan, Qiu-Feng Lü, Fei Chen, Qilang Lin. Self-nitrogen-doped porous biochar derived from kapok (Ceiba insignis) fibers: Effect of pyrolysis temperature and high electrochemical performance[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2018, 34(10): 1959-1968.

Figures/Tables 10

Scheme 1. Schematic illustration for preparation of biochar.

Fig. 1. TGA and DTG curves of natural KF (a), FT-IR spectra of natural KF (b) and biochars (c), XRD patterns of natural KF (d) and biochars (e), and Raman spectra of biochars (f).

Fig. 2. FE-SEM images of KF (a1, a2), CKF-700 (b1, b2), CKF-750 (c1, c2), CKF-800 (d1, d2) and CKF-900 (e1, e2).

Fig. 3. (a) N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, (b) Horvath-Kawazoe (H-K) absorption pore size distributions and (c, d) BJH desorption pore size distributions of biochars (STP: standard temperature and pressure; P: actual pressure of N2; P0: saturated vapor pressure of N2).

Table 1 Specific surface areas, pore volumes and specific capacitances of biochars (SBET: specific surface area computed by using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method).

Sample	S_BET (m² g^-1)	V_pore (cm³ g^-1)	V_micro (cm³ g^-1)	D_n (nm)	C_s (F g^-1)
C_KF-700	613.8	0.4168	0.1609	2.72	136
C_KF-750	1125.7	0.7130	0.3370	2.53	283
C_KF-800	880.2	0.5846	0.2742	2.66	220
C_KF-900	1008.1	0.6723	0.2927	2.67	179

Table 2 Elemental analyses of biochars.

Sample	N (wt%)	C (wt%)	H (wt%)	O (wt%)	H/C	O/C
C_KF-700	1.45	55.93	2.60	26.28	0.56	0.36
C_KF-750	0.76	72.50	2.30	20.92	0.38	0.22
C_KF-800	0.71	79.50	2.09	17.37	0.32	0.16
C_KF-900	0.56	80.21	1.31	18.08	0.20	0.17

Fig. 4. (a) XPS survey spectrum, (b) C 1 s XPS spectrum, (c) O 1 s XPS spectrum and (d) N 1 s XPS spectrum of CKF-750.

Fig. 5. (a) CV curves of biochars at scan rate of 100 mV s-1, (b) GCD curves of biochars at current density of 1 A g-1 in 6.0 mol L-1 KOH electrolyte, (c) CV curves of CKF-750 at various scan rates, and (d) GCD curves of CKF-750 at various current densities in 6.0 mol L-1 KOH electrolyte.

Fig. 6. (a) Rate capabilities, (b) Nyquist plots and (c) cycling stabilities of biochars.

Table 3 Specific capacitances of biochars derived from various biomass feedstocks.

Biomass feedstock	Pyrolysis temperature (°C)	S_BET (m² g^-1)	Electrolyte	C_s^a (F g^-1)	Ref.
Rice husk ash	700	786	6 M KOH	260	[54]
Cotton plup	1000	346	5 M KCl	108	[55]
Perilla frutescens	700	655	6 M KOH	270	[56]
Potato starch	900	456	1 M KOH	245	[57]
Lotus stem	800	1610	6 M KOH	85	[58]
Banana	550	138	2 M KOH	100	[59]
Kapok fiber	750	1125	6 M KOH	283	This work

References

[1]	J. Tang, W. Zhu, R. Kookana, A. Katayama, J. Biosci. Bioeng. 116(2013)653-659.
[2]	K. Zhong, X.L. Zheng, X.Y. Mao, Z.T. Lin, G.B. Jiang, Carbohyd. Polym. 90(2012)820-826.
[3]	D. Woolf, J.E. Amonette, F.A. Street-Perrott, J. Lehmann, S. Joseph, Nat.Commun. 1(2010) 1-9.
[4]	Y. Huang, M. Anderson, D. McIlveen-Wright, G.A. Lyons, W.C. McRoberts, Y.D. Wang, A.P. Roskilly, N.J. Hewitt, Appl. Energy 160 (2015) 656-663.
[5]	Y. Li, J. Shao, X. Wang, Y. Deng, H. Yang, H. Chen, Energy Fuel 28 (2014)5119-5127.
[6]	C. Peng, X.B. Yan, R.T. Wang, J.W. Lang, Y.J. Ou, Q.J. Xue, Electrochim. Acta 87 (2013) 401-408.
[7]	A.L. Cazetta, A.M. Vargas, E.M. Nogami, M.H. Kunita, M.R. Guilherme, A.C. Martins, T.L. Silva, J.C. Moraes, Chem. Eng. J. 174(2011) 117-125.
[8]	D. Chen, X. Yu, C. Song, X. Pang, J. Huang, Y. Li, Bioresour. Technol. 218(2016)1303-1306.
[9]	N. Zhou, H. Chen, J. Xi, D. Yao, Z. Zhou, Y. Tian, X. Lu, Bioresour. Technol. 232(2017) 204-210.
[10]	A.A. Salema, M.T. Afzal, L. Bennamoun, Bioresour. Technol. 233(2017)353-362.
[11]	S.S. Lam, H.A. Chase, Energies 5 (2012) 4209-4232.
[12]	Y. Lee, J. Park, C. Ryu, K.S. Gang, W. Yang, Y.K. Park, J. Jung, S. Hyun, Bioresour.Technol. 148(2013) 196-201.
[13]	M. Ahmad, S.S. Lee, A.U. Rajapaksha, M. Vithanage, M. Zhang, J.S. Cho, S.E. Lee,Y.S. Ok, Bioresour. Technol. 143(2013) 615-622.
[14]	Y. Liu, Y. Liu, D. Zhang, R. Zhang, Z. Li, Anal. Chem. 88(2015) 1067-1072.
[15]	R. Wang, C.H. Shin, D. Kim, M. Ryu, J.S. Park, Environ. Earth Sci. 75(2016)1-6.
[16]	Y. Liu, J. Wang, Y. Zheng, A. Wang, Chem. Eng. J. 184(2012) 248-255.
[17]	J. Wang, Y. Zheng, A. Wang, Ind. Crops Prod. 40(2012) 178-184.
[18]	J.Y. Park, K.J. Hwang, T. Kim, S. Jin, N. Kim, I.H. Lee, Mater. Lett. 128(2014)340-343.
[19]	W. Xu, B. Mu, W. Zhang, A. Wang, RSC Adv. 5(2015) 64065-64075.
[20]	Y. Zheng, J. Wang, Y. Zhu, A. Wang, J. Environ. Sci. 27(2015) 21-32.
[21]	B. Wang, R. Karthikeyan, X.Y. Lu, J. Xuan, M.K.H. Leung, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 52(2013) 18251-18261.
[22]	T. Chung, K.J. Hwang, W.G. Shim, C. Kim, J.Y. Park, D.Y. Choi, J.W. Lee, Mater.Lett. 93(2013) 401-403.
[23]	K.J. Hwang, J.Y. Park, Y.J. Kim, G. Kim, C. Choi, S. Jin, N. Kim, J.W. Lee, W.G. Shim, Sep. Sci. Technol. 50(2015) 1757-1767.
[24]	W. Xu, B. Mu, A. Wang, Electrochim. Acta 194 (2016) 84-94.
[25]	W. Xu, B. Mu, A. Wang, RSC Adv. 6(2016) 6967-6977.
[26]	W. Xu, B. Mu, A. Wang, Electrochim. Acta 224 (2017) 113-124.
[27]	X.Q. Lin, W.D. Wang, Q.F. Lü, Y.Q. Jin, Q. Lin, R. Liu, J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 34(2018) 1339-1345.
[28]	H. Yang, R. Yan, H. Chen, D.H. Lee, C. Zheng, Fuel 86 (2007) 1781-1788.
[29]	J. Prachayawarakorn, S. Chaiwatyothin, S. Mueangta, A. Hanchana, Mater. Des.47(2013) 309-315.
[30]	W. Wu, M. Yang, Q. Feng, K. McGrouther, H. Wang, H. Lu, Y. Chen, BiomassBioenergy 47 (2012) 268-276.
[31]	Y. Sun, J. Zhuang, L. Lin, P. Ouyang, Biotechnol. Adv. 27(2009) 625-632.
[32]	D. Su, H.J. Ahn, G. Wang, Chem. Commun. 49(2013) 3131-3133.
[33]	M.N. Obrovac, L. Christensen, Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 7(2004)93-96.
[34]	J. Tang, H. Lv, Y. Gong, Y. Huang, Bioresour. Technol. 196(2015) 355-363.
[35]	S. Meiwu, X. Hong, Y. Weidong, Text. Res. J. 80(2010) 159-165.
[36]	S. Kloss, F. Zehetner, A. Dellantonio, R. Hamid, F. Ottner, V. Liedtke, M. Schwanninger, M.H. Gerzabek, G. Soja, J. Environ. Qual. 41(2012) 990-1000.
[37]	D. Ang?n, Bioresour. Technol. 128(2013) 593-597.
[38]	W. Xing, S.Z. Qiao, R.G. Ding, F. Li, G.Q. Lu, Z.F. Yan, H.M. Cheng, Carbon 44 (2006) 216-224.
[39]	P.T. Williams, A.R. Reed, Biomass Bioenergy 30 (2006) 144-152.
[40]	X. Gai, H. Wang, J. Liu, L. Zhai, S. Liu, T. Ren, H. Liu, PLoS One 9 (2014) e113888.
[41]	K.H. Kim, J.Y. Kim, T.S. Cho, J.W. Choi, Bioresour. Technol. 118(2012) 158-162.
[42]	V. Datsyuk, M. Kalyva, K. Papagelis, J. Parthenios, D. Tasis, A. Siokou, I. Kallitsis,C. Galiotis, Carbon 46 (2008) 833-840.
[43]	Y.C. Chiang, W.H. Lin, Y.C. Chang, Appl. Surf. Sci. 257(2011) 2401-2410.
[44]	J. Xu, M. Wang, N.P. Wickramaratne, M. Jaroniec, S. Dou, L. Dai, Adv. Mater. 27(2015) 2042-2048.
[45]	G. Xu, J. Han, B. Ding, P. Nie, J. Pan, H. Dou, H. Li, X. Zhang, Green Chem. 17(2015) 1668-1674.
[46]	S. Poncsák, D. Kocaefe, M. Bouazara, A. Pichette, Wood Sci. Technol. 40(2006)647-663.
[47]	H. Guo, Q. Gao, J. Power Sources 186 (2009) 551-556.
[48]	Z. Wang, X. Zhang, Y. Li, Z. Liu, Z. Hao, J. Mater. Chem. A 1 (2013) 6393-6399.
[49]	H. Wang, Z. Xu, A. Kohandehghan, Z. Li, K. Cui, X. Tan, T.J. Stephenson, C.K. King’ondu, C.M.B. Holt, B.C. Olsen, J.K. Tak, D. Harfield, A.O. Anyia, D. Mitlin,ACS Nano 7 (2013) 5131-5141.
[50]	H.P. Cong, X.C. Ren, P. Wang, S.H. Yu, Energy Environ. Sci. 6(2013) 1185-1191.
[51]	R.J. Mo, Y. Zhao, M. Wu, H.M. Xiao, S. Kuga, Y. Huang, J.P. Li, S.Y. Fu, RSC Adv. 6(2016) 59333-59342.
[52]	S. Srivastav, R. Kant, J. Phys. Chem. C 115 (2011) 12232-12242.
[53]	H. Xia, B. Li, L. Lu, RSC Adv. 4(2014) 11111-11114.
[54]	Y. Huang, J. He, Y. Luan, Y. Jiang, S. Guo, X. Zhang, C. Tian, B. Jiang, RSC Adv. 7(2017) 10385-10390.
[55]	L. Jiang, G.W. Nelson, S.O. Han, H. Kim, I.N. Sim, J.S. Foord, Electrochim. Acta192(2016) 251-258.
[56]	B. Liu, Y. Liu, H. Chen, M. Yang, H. Li, J. Power Sources 341 (2017) 309-317.
[57]	R. Qiang, Z. Hu, Y. Yang, Z. Li, N. An, X. Ren, H. Hu, H. Wu, Electrochim. Acta 167(2015) 303-310.
[58]	Y. Zhang, S. Liu, X. Zheng, X. Wang, Y. Xu, H. Tang, F. Kang, H. Yang, J. Luo, Adv.Funct. Mater. 27(2017) 1604687.
[59]	L. Wang, X. Li, J. Ma, Q. Wu, X. Duan, Sustain. Energy 2 (2014) 39-43.