Functional materials based on wood, carbon nanotubes, and graphene: manufacturing, applications, and green perspectives

Abstract

Driven by the quest for greener and more sustainable materials, the presented review analyzes recent studies in which wood and wood-based materials were combined with carbon nanomaterials in the form of carbon nanotubes and graphene. The analysis shows a close kinship between these two carbon-based materials. The first studies have shown that wood may be directly transformed into sp2-bonded carbons, i.e., form graphene-like structures. Further, it has been demonstrated that both carbon nanotubes and graphene can be used to coat or infiltrate wood and processed wood-based materials such as flexible wood sponges or biochars. Thanks to the unique electrical, mechanical, thermal, and wetting properties of graphene and carbon nanotubes, their wood-based nanocomposites were shown to have many potential applications in green electronics area or as nanodevices. Finally, a new range of studies in the area of wood composites showed that carbon nanomaterials integrated into wood-based boards could improve the properties of the former ones. The presented review shows that this emerging area of research on wood-based materials, graphene, and carbon nanotubes is highly promising and interesting in the context of new applications and future perspectives for sustainable development.

Effects of swine manure and straw biochars on fluorine adsorption-desorption in soils

“…Biochars, novel environmental-friend functional materials, have distinctive properties such as large specific surface areas, pore-rich structures with functional groups, and excellent biochemical stabilities [7][8][9]. The modified biochars usually show excellent adsorption capacities [10].…”

The Effects of Soil Compaction on the Growth and Architecture of the Seedlings of Species Commonly Used for Afforestation in Iran

“…Soil plays a crucial role in forest ecosystems, and it is a mediator of nutrients, water, and energy flows that guarantee the productivity of the forest ecosystem and maintain biodiversity [1][2][3][4]. Logging operations are required to obtain wood for multiple purposes [5][6][7]. However, it is well known that logging operations can trigger substantial disturbance to the forest soil [3,[8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

The Effects of Organic Mulches on Water Erosion Control for Skid Trails in the Hyrcanian Mixed Forests

“…The increasing need for wood for multiple purposes [13][14][15] has been fostering the implementation of mechanized forest harvesting with heavy machinery to maximize the costeffectiveness of forest operations [16][17][18]. Increasing machine weight also means increased environmental disturbances of machinery traffic on the forest soil and its subsequent impact on forest stand fertility [19][20][21].…”