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Synthesis of Size‐Controllable Lignin‐Based Nanosperes and Its Application in Electrical Double Layer Capacitors
Author(s) -
Zhang Yang,
Zhu Youyu,
Jiao Miaolun,
Zhang Jie,
Chen Mingming,
Wang Chengyang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemistryselect
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 2365-6549
DOI - 10.1002/slct.202001552
Subject(s) - lignin , materials science , chemical engineering , particle size , acetone , gravimetric analysis , electrolyte , supercapacitor , electrochemistry , specific surface area , organic chemistry , chemistry , catalysis , electrode , engineering
As one of the most popular biomass materials, lignin is mainly used for incineration for providing heat. However, the large amount of CO 2 emission results in serious environmental pollutions. To avoid the environmental issues, the transformation of lignin into high value‐added products has attracted increasing attention. In this study, a simple strategy is introduced to prepare lignin‐based nanospheres in acetone/water binary solution and the mechanisms related to the particle formation and particle size‐control are studied. By adjusting the ratio of solvent (acetone/water =55%‐95%) and the initial concentration of lignin (0.25%‐2.5%), the particle size of lignin microspheres ranges from 100 nm to 4 μm. After activation, the lignin microspheres with high specific surface area (2566 m 2 g −1 ) and suitable pore size distribution are applied in electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs). Among all the prepared samples, the activated lignin microspheres in nanoscale exhibit the best electrochemical performance in EDLCs. It displays a high gravimetric specific capacitance of 147 and 150 F g −1 at the current density of 0.05 A g −1 , and maintains 117 and 108 F g −1 even at the higher current density of 10 A g −1 in 1 M TEABF 4 /PC electrolyte and [EMIM]BF 4 ionic liquid, respectively. Therefore, the activated lignin‐based nanospheres can realize the high value‐added utilization of lignin, and have great prospects in the field of energy storage.