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Applied Sciences
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Combustion Generated Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Applications
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Combustion Generated Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2023) | Viewed by 10994

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Patrizia Minutolo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Science and Technology for the sustainable Energy and Mobility (STEMS) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: combustion processes; soot formation and oxidation; flame synthesis and characterization of oxide nanoparticles, optical diagnostic techniques; laser spectroscopy; optical characterization of soot and carbon nanoparticles; aerosols physicochemical characterization; scanning probe microscopy; Raman microscopy of carbon nanomaterials; film deposition of flame formed nanoparticles-optical and electrical characterization
Dr. Mario Commodo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Science and Technology for the sustainable Energy and Mobility (STEMS) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: soot formation in combustion processes; particle dynamics in flames; physiochemical properties of combustion aerosols; diagnostics for measurement and characterization of combustion-formed particulate matter; flame synthesis of nanostructured materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Flame synthesis of carbon materials is among the oldest applied technology as demonstrated by carbon powders used in prehistoric paintings on cavewalls and in the chinese ink of ancient artworks. Combustion is hystorically the main source of the carbon blacks emploied for a wide number of applications. However, in the last decades combustion synthesis and related high temperature processes are emerging as extremely versatile methods for the synthesis of a large variety of novel carbon materials at both micro and nanoscale level.

New opportunities are being opened by the use of a catalytic support or by of low-cost precursors and even waste materials or biomass-derived renewable feedstock. Besides the advantages of being a simple single-step process, cost-effective and scalable, combustion synthesis allows controlled growth of materials with remarkable chemico-physical, optical, electronic and electrical and electrochemical proprieties that make them well-suited for a wide number of applications, from the energy harvesting and storage, generation of hydrophobic surfaces for the separation of organic pollutants in environments, or even the production of fluorescence emitters and advanced sensors. 

Examples of such products include: carbon quantum dots, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanodisks and graphene as well as raw and functionalized flame-formed carbon nanoparticles (sometime referred to as candle soot).

This Special Issue seeks to address recent developments in combustion synthesis routes of carbon nanomaterials. Fundamental and applied studies are welcome. Papers addressing the following aspects for carbon nanomaterials produced by combustion and related processes are also welcome:

  • new or improved combustion synthesis routes;
  • use of novel or renewable fuel material;
  • functionalization and characterization of combustion-formed carbon nanomaterials;

The carbon products can be in the form of powders, aerosols, suspended particles/nanoparticles in liquids or deposited as thin films.

Full papers, communications, and reviews covering these subjects are welcome.

Dr. Patrizia Minutolo
Dr. Mario Commodo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Combustion synthesis/Flames/Pyrolysis
  • Carbon nanomaterials/nanoparticles
  • Carbon quantum dots
  • Soot/Candle soot
  • Carbon black
  • Carbon nanotubes/nanofibers
  • Powders/aerosols
  • Particle deposition/thin films
  • Functional materials/Nanocomposites
  • Chemical/structural characterization
  • Optical characterization
  • Molecular dynamics
  • Chmical and electrochemical characterization
  • Morphological characterization/microscopy
  • Optoelectronic applications
  • Energy harvesting and storage
  • Sensors
  • Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic surfaces and coatings
  • Recycling

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2224 KiB  
Article
Temperature Sensing with Thin Films of Flame-Formed Carbon Nanoparticles
by Patrizia Minutolo, Gianluigi De Falco, Mario Commodo, Alberto Aloisio and Andrea D’Anna
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(15), 7714; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12157714 - 31 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1210
Abstract
A porous nanostructured film of flame-formed carbon nanoparticles has been produced with a one-step procedure. The morphological and structural characteristics of the film have been characterized by atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The electrical resistance as a function of the temperature has [...] Read more.
A porous nanostructured film of flame-formed carbon nanoparticles has been produced with a one-step procedure. The morphological and structural characteristics of the film have been characterized by atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The electrical resistance as a function of the temperature has been investigated in the range from ambient temperature to 120 °C. A nonmetallic behavior has been observed, with a monotonic decrease of the film resistance as temperature increases. Electrical conduction is explained in terms of charge carriers tunneling and percolation between the carbon grains and is not perfectly described by an Arrhenius behavior. A negative temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the order of −100 × 10−4 K−1 has been measured. The high absolute TCR value, together with the ease of material microfabrication processing and biocompatibility of the carbon material make this film ideal for temperature sensing in many environments. A functional relationship between resistance and temperature, which is necessary for practical applications, has been finally derived. A very good agreement between experimental data and fit is obtained with a fifth order polynomial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combustion Generated Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Applications)
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16 pages, 32422 KiB  
Article
Effect of Fuel Composition on Carbon Black Formation Pathways
by Madhu Singh, Akshay Gharpure, Randy L. Vander Wal, James Kollar and Charles R. Herd
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(5), 2569; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12052569 - 01 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2592
Abstract
Differences in lamellae length, stacking, and particularly a difference in the core-to-shell radial structure are observed for carbon blacks produced using different feedstocks. Carbon black (CB) produced using a coal tar (CT) feedstock formed particles with amorphous cores exhibiting a sharp transition to [...] Read more.
Differences in lamellae length, stacking, and particularly a difference in the core-to-shell radial structure are observed for carbon blacks produced using different feedstocks. Carbon black (CB) produced using a coal tar (CT) feedstock formed particles with amorphous cores exhibiting a sharp transition to extended lamellae oriented about the periphery of the particle. In contrast, the carbon black produced from fluidized catalytic cracker (FCC) decant oil as feedstock formed particles with a single nucleated core possess a rather uniform radial transition—reflecting the presence of ordered, concentric lamellae across most of the particle radius. Minimal disorder was observed in the core while the undulations in perimeter lamellae were fewer. Our interpretation for these structural dissimilarities is premised on differences in fuel composition, specifically component classes as found by saturate, aromatic, resin, asphaltene (SARA) analysis. These in turn lead to variation in the relative rates of particle nucleation and particle growth by pyrolysis products, moderated by temperature. Electron energy loss spectroscopy reveals radial variation in the sp2 content between the different feedstocks consistent with observed nanostructures. Collectively these results are interpreted in terms of an offset in nucleation and growth—dependent upon the relative contributions of feedstock aromatic content and pyrolysis processes to particle nucleation and growth. To further test the postulate of different formation conditions for the two carbon blacks pulsed laser annealing was applied. The high temperature heating accentuated the dissimilarities in nanostructure and chemistry—leading to stark dissimilarities. These differences were also manifested by comparing oxidative reactivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combustion Generated Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Applications)
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18 pages, 39586 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Carbonaceous Hydrophobic Layers through a Flame Deposition Process
by Duncan A. Merchan-Breuer, Ethan Murphy, Benjamin Berka, Luis Carlos Mendoza Nova, Yingtao Liu and Wilson Merchan-Merchan
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(5), 2427; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12052427 - 25 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1245
Abstract
In this study we report the effect of fuel type (biodiesel vs. methane), flame structure and flame height (inner-cone vs. outer-cone), and the percent of oxygen content in the oxidizer stream for the formation of hydrophobic carbon layers using co-flow diffusion flames. It [...] Read more.
In this study we report the effect of fuel type (biodiesel vs. methane), flame structure and flame height (inner-cone vs. outer-cone), and the percent of oxygen content in the oxidizer stream for the formation of hydrophobic carbon layers using co-flow diffusion flames. It was found that a flame formed using a gaseous fuel (methane) over a vaporized liquid fuel, Canola Methyl Ester (CME), has significant structural differences that enable vastly different deposition behavior of soot layers on the surface of solid substrates. Due to its larger pyrolysis zone (taller inner-cone), the CH4/air flame has a smaller region that supports uniform soot deposition of hydrophobic carbon layers (C-layers) compared to the CME/air flame. When a solid substrate is placed within the pyrolysis zone (inner-cone) of a flame the resulting layer is non-uniform, hydrophilic, and consists of undeveloped soot. However, when outside the pyrolysis zone, the deposited soot tends to be uniform and mature, ultimately creating a hydrophobic C-layer consisting of the typical microscale interconnected weblike structures formed of spherical soot nanoparticles. The effect of oxygen content (35% and 50% O2) in the oxidizer stream for the formation of hydrophobic C-layers was also studied in this work. It was found that oxygen enrichment within the CME flame alters the structure of the flame, hence affecting the morphology of the formed C-layer. Under oxygen enrichment the central region of the deposited C-layer is composed of a weblike structure similar to those seen in the air flames; however, this central region is bordered by a region of densely compacted soot that shows signs of significant thermal stress. At 35% O2 the thermal stress is expressed as multiple microscale cracks while at 50% O2 this border region shows much larger cracks and macroscale layer peeling. The formed C-layers under the different flame conditions were tested for hydrophobicity by measuring the contact angle of a water droplet. The morphology of the C-layers was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combustion Generated Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Applications)
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14 pages, 26291 KiB  
Article
Production of Carbon Black in Turbulent Spray Flames of Coal Tar Distillates
by Helena Rodriguez-Fernandez, Shruthi Dasappa, Kaylin Dones Sabado and Joaquin Camacho
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 10001; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112110001 - 26 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2487
Abstract
Conventional carbon black production occurs by pyrolysis after heavy aromatic feedstock is injected into the post-combustor region of furnace black reactors. The current work examines the conversion of the coal tar distillate in turbulent spray flames to demonstrate a more compact reactor configuration. [...] Read more.
Conventional carbon black production occurs by pyrolysis after heavy aromatic feedstock is injected into the post-combustor region of furnace black reactors. The current work examines the conversion of the coal tar distillate in turbulent spray flames to demonstrate a more compact reactor configuration. Coal tar distillates diluted in toluene is atomized and burned in a standardized flame spray synthesis configuration, known as SpraySyn. Flame conditions are characterized by thermocouple, soot pyrometry and image analysis and product particle properties are examined by TEM and Raman spectroscopy. The measured flame temperature corresponds to the range of temperatures used in the furnace black process, but the current synthesis includes oxidizing conditions and faster residence times. The resulting carbon black particles are aggregates with primary particle sizes on the small end of the carbon black size spectrum, according to analysis of TEM images. Carbon black, formed under a range of flame temperatures, show Raman spectra with features resembling typical carbon black materials. Conversion of coal tar distillate to carbon black by direct flame synthesis may be a scalable method to produce high-surface area grades without a conventional pyrolysis reactor stage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combustion Generated Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Applications)
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10 pages, 1947 KiB  
Article
Exploring Nanomechanical Properties of Soot Particle Layers by Atomic Force Microscopy Nanoindentation
by Gianluigi De Falco, Fiorenzo Carbone, Mario Commodo, Patrizia Minutolo and Andrea D’Anna
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(18), 8448; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11188448 - 11 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2315
Abstract
In this work, an experimental investigation of the nanomechanical properties of flame-formed carbonaceous particle layers has been performed for the first time by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). To this aim, carbon nanoparticles with different properties and nanostructures were produced in ethylene/air [...] Read more.
In this work, an experimental investigation of the nanomechanical properties of flame-formed carbonaceous particle layers has been performed for the first time by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). To this aim, carbon nanoparticles with different properties and nanostructures were produced in ethylene/air laminar premixed flames at different residence times. Particles were collected on mica substrates by means of a thermophoretic sampling system and then analyzed by AFM. An experimental procedure based on the combination between semi-contact AFM topography imaging, contact AFM topography imaging and AFM force spectroscopy has been implemented. More specifically, a preliminary topological characterization of the samples was first performed operating AFM in semi-contact mode and then tip-sample interaction forces were measured in contact spectroscopy mode. Finally, semi-contact mode was used to image the indented surface of the samples and to retrieve the projected area of indents. The hardness of investigated samples was obtained from the force–distance curves measured in spectroscopy mode and the images of intends acquired in semi-contact mode. Moreover, the Young’s modulus was measured by fitting the linear part of the retraction force curves using a model based on the Hertz theory. The extreme force sensitivity of this technique (down to nNewton) in addition to the small size of the probe makes it extremely suitable for performing investigation of mechanical properties of materials at the nanoscale. The experimental procedure was successfully tested on reference materials characterized by different plastic behavior, e.g., polyethylene naphthalate and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. Both hardness and Young’s modulus values obtained from AFM measurements for different soot particle films were discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combustion Generated Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization and Novel Applications)
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