New Application of Waste Citrus Maxima Peel-Derived Carbon as an Oxygen Electrode Material for Lithium Oxygen Batteries

Abstract

Recently, lithium oxygen battery has become a promising candidate to satisfy the current large-energy-storage devices demand because of its amazing theoretical energy density. However, it still faces problems such as poor reversibility and short cycle life. Here, citrus maxima peel (CMP) was used as a precursor to prepare activated and Fe-loading carbon (CMPACs and CMPACs-Fe, respectively) via pyrolysis in nitrogen atmosphere at 900 °C, in which KOH was added as an activator. Electrochemical measurements show that CMPAC-based Li-O battery possesses high specific capacity of 7800 mA h/g, steady cycling performance of 466 cycles with a corresponding Coulombic efficiency of 92.5%, good rate capability, and reversibility. Besides, CMPACs-Fe-based O electrode delivers even lower overpotential in both charge and discharge processes. We conclude that these excellent electrochemical performances of CMPACs and CMPACs-Fe-based O electrode benefit from their cellular porous structure, plenty of active sites, and large specific surface area (900 and 768 m/g), which suggest that these biomass-derived porous carbons might become promising candidates to achieve efficient lithium oxygen battery.

Porous carbon from tobacco stalk for removal of organic dyes from water

“…The formation of high specic surface area may be attributed to the fact that KOH, as an activator, can etch light elements to generate a large number of pore structures, and the release of CO 2 , which was generated by the further decomposition of K 2 CO 3 obtained from the reaction of 6KOH + 2C / 2K + 3H 2 + 2K 2 CO 3 , promoted the production of more micropores or ultrapores. 20 With the acceleration of industrialization, large quantities of wastewater are emitted from plastics, textiles, leather, paper, printing, and dye manufacturing plants. It contains a large amount of organic dyes, which is an important factor causing water pollution.…”

Biomass‐derived Carbon Quantum Dots – A Review. Part 1: Preparation and Characterization

“…4 and 5 is immobilized in the carbon framework during activation, resulting in the expansion of carbon. The advantage of potassium activation with carbon and the elimination of the immobilized potassium by rinsing is confirmed by the morphological studies by SEM 305. A three‐dimensional porous activated carbon foam (ACF) with micromesopores is synthesized from pomelo peel by carbonization (500 °C for 5 h/N 2 atm.)…”

Sustainable Battery Materials from Biomass

“…Similarly, all kinds of biowaste have been carbonized and used as host materials in the cathodes of lithium–sulfur, lithium–selenium, or lithium–oxygen batteries. Within recent years, for example, carbons made from waste materials such as fruit stones or peels, algae, nutshells, soybean hulls, grain waste, other plant waste, saw dust, and lignin have been described in this regard.…”

“…In cases where N‐doping from the carbon precursor is not sufficient, other nitrogen containing precursors like melamine, which can be synthesized from sustainable resources, may be added before carbonization . To decrease the overpotential and increase the efficiency of the ORR/OER, biomass‐based carbons may also be impregnated with metal ions or particles . The remaining synthesis steps are similar to the above‐described processes.…”