Capacitive effects of nitrogen doping on cellulose-derived carbon nanofibers
Journal article, 2015

Carbons with valuable electrochemical characteristics are among the most convenient electrode materials used for energy storage. At the moment, their production is mostly reliant on unsustainable fossil fuels. A preferential sustainable production of enhanced carbonaceous electrodes can be achieved with more extensive utilization of abundant renewable resources instead of fossils. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized from cellulose, the most abundant renewable resource, via consecutive steps of cellulose acetate electrospinning, subsequent deacetylation to cellulose, impregnation with nitrogen-containing additive (ammonium chloride), and carbonization. Results of material characterization showed that the carbonization of functionalized cellulose samples led to formation of CNFs doped with 4–5.6 at.% of nitrogen. In comparison with pristine CNFs N-doped samples had a slightly lower specific surface area, but higher conductivity and hydrophilicity. Moreover, electrochemical measurements indicated that the enhanced N-doped materials had about 2.5 times higher specific capacitance which was increasing throughout 1000 charge–discharge cycles. These results suggest that nitrogen doping method used in this study has a positive pseudocapacitive effect on the electrochemical performance of carbonized cellulose materials.

Electrochemical properties

Nanostructures

Surfaces

Author

Volodymyr Kuzmenko

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Olga Naboka

National Research Council Canada

Henrik Staaf

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Mohammad Mazharul Haque

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Gert Göransson

University of Gothenburg

Per Lundgren

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Paul Gatenholm

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Peter Enoksson

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Materials Chemistry and Physics

0254-0584 (ISSN)

Vol. 160 59-65

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Transport

Production

Energy

Materials Science

Subject Categories

Materials Chemistry

Nano Technology

Infrastructure

Nanofabrication Laboratory

DOI

10.1016/j.matchemphys.2015.04.006

More information

Latest update

8/27/2018