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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "2D and Carbon Nanomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 19466

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Dr. Guoqiang Zou

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College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: lithium/sodium ion batteries; lithium/sodium ion hybrid capacitors; new energy materials and devices; theoretical calculations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbon materials have had a huge impact within the scientific community and been extensively utilized in energy storage, catalysis, biosensors, and high-flux membranes due to their high chemical stability, low cost, and wide range of sources. Due to its useful physicochemical properties, carbon with various nanostructures has attracted increased interest in recent years, with new carbon materials with suitable performance being continuously reported. This special issue focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of advanced carbon-based materials, such pure carbon materials, carbon /metal oxides composites, and carbon /metal composites, and so on, including their various application in different fields. We welcome original papers, short articles, and reviews that report on the fabrication, development, or application of such carbon-based materials.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Guoqiang Zou
Guest Editor

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Keywords

carbon materials
biosensors
energy storage
membranes
catalysis

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4822 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Selective Catalytic Epoxidation–Hydration of α-Pinene with Hydrogen Peroxide to Sobrerol by Durable Ammonium Phosphotungstate Immobilized on Imidazolized Activated Carbon

by Min Zheng, Xiangzhou Li, Youyi Xun, Jianhua Wang and Dulin Yin

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(9), 1554; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano13091554 - 05 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1361

Abstract

It is presented that the activated carbon was carboxylated with hydrogen peroxide and then acylated with 2-methylimidazole to prepare the porous carbon support with a surface imidazolated modification. Through the adsorption of phosphotungstic acid on the fundamental site of an imidazolyl group and then adjusting the acid strength with the ammonia molecule, a catalytic carbon material immobilized with ammonium phosphotungstate (AC-COIMO-NH₄PW) was obtained, which was used to catalyze a one-pot reaction of convenient α-pinene and hydrogen peroxide to sobrerol. The bifunctional active site originated from the dual property of ammonium phosphotungstate, as the oxidant and acid presenting a cooperatively catalytic performance, which effectively catalyzes the tandem epoxidation–isomerization–hydration of α-pinene to sobrerol, in which the solvent effect of catalysis simultaneously exists. The sobrerol selectivity was significantly improved after the acid strength weakening by ammonia. Monomolecular chemical bonding and anchoring of ammonium phosphotungstate at the basic site prevented the loss of the active catalytic species, and the recovered catalyst showed excellent catalytic stability in reuse. Using acetonitrile as the solvent at 40 °C for 4 h, the conversion of α-pinene could reach 90.6%, and the selectivity of sobrerol was 40.5%. The results of five cycles show that the catalyst presents excellent stability due to the tight immobilization of ammonium phosphotungstate bonding on the imidazolized activated carbon, based on which a catalytic-cycle mechanism is proposed for the tandem reaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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13 pages, 4440 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Friendly Preparation of Carbon-Bonded Carbon Fiber Based on Glucose-Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Derived Carbon as Binder

by Chen Zeng, Yanju Gu, You Xie, Weiqin Hu, Min Huang, Gen Liao, Jianxiao Yang, Zheqiong Fan and Ruixuan Tan

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(6), 1045; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano13061045 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1467

Abstract

Lightweight, high-temperature-resistant carbon-bonded carbon fiber (CBCF) composites with excellent thermal insulation properties are desirable materials for thermal protection systems in military and aerospace applications. Here, glucose was introduced into the polyacrylamide hydrogel to form the glucose-polyacrylamide (Glu-PAM) hydrogel. The CBCF composites were prepared using the Glu-PAM hydrogel as a brand-new binder, and the synergistic effect between glucose and acrylamide was investigated. The results showed the Glu-PAM hydrogel could limit the foaming of glucose and enhance the carbon yield of glucose. Meanwhile, the dopamine-modified chopped carbon fiber could be uniformly mixed by high-speed shearing to form a slurry with the Glu-PAM hydrogel. Finally, the slurry was successfully extruded and molded to prepare CBCF composites with a density of 0.158~0.390 g cm⁻³ and excellent thermal insulation performance and good mechanical properties. The compressive strength of CBCF composites with a density of 0.158 g cm⁻³ in the Z direction is 0.18 MPa, and the thermal conductivity in the Z direction at 25 °C and 1200 °C is 0.10 W m⁻¹ k⁻¹ and 0.20 W m⁻¹ k⁻¹, respectively. This study provided an efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-effective strategy for the preparation of CBCF composites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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10 pages, 4619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interface Engineering Enables High-Performance Sb Anode for Sodium Storage

by Chang Liu, Xin Fu, Shuzhen Liao, Guoqiang Zou and Hai Yang

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(2), 254; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano13020254 - 06 Jan 2023

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 1268

Abstract

Heterointerface engineering has been verified to be an effective approach to enhance the energy density of alkali-ion batteries by resolving inherent shortcomings of single materials. However, the rational construction of heterogeneous composite with abundant heterogeneous interfaces for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is still a significant challenge. Herein, inspired by density functional theory calculations, interface engineering can greatly decrease the energy bandgap and migration barrier of Na ions in Sb and Na₃Sb phases, as well as enhance the mechanical properties. A porous heterointerface MOFC–Sb is fabricated by utilizing MOF-C as a support and buffer, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performances for sodium storage. The MOF-C–Sb anode with its rich heterointerface presents an improved electrochemical performance of 540.5 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g⁻¹, and 515.9 mAh g⁻¹ at 1.6 A g⁻¹ in term of sodium storage, efficiently resolving the serious volume expansion issues of metal Sb. These results indicate the structural superiority of heterointerface-engineered structure and afford valuable information for the rational design and construction of Sb-based anode materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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11 pages, 2444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Formation Mechanisms of Sugar-Derived Dense Carbons via Hydrogel Carbonization Method

by Liting Chen, Zheqiong Fan, Weiguo Mao, Cuiying Dai, Daming Chen and Xinghong Zhang

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(22), 4090; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12224090 - 21 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1728

Abstract

Four kinds of sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose) were selected as carbon precursors, and corresponding dense carbon products were prepared using a novel hydrogel carbonization method. The carbonization processes of sugar–polyacrylamide (sugar–PAM) hydrogels were studied in detail. The molecular structures in the raw materials were analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR). Samples prepared at different temperatures were characterized by thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The morphology and microstructure of sugar-derived carbons were confirmed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that the sugar solution was surrounded by PAM with a three-dimensional network structure and formed hydrogels in the initial stage. The sugar solution was considered to be separated into nanocapsules. In each nanocapsule, sugar molecules could be limited within the hydrogel via walls formed by PAM chains. The hydroxyl group in the sugar molecules connected with PAM by the hydrogen bond and intermolecular force, which can strengthen the entire hydrogel system. The self-generated pressure of hydrogel constrains the foam of sugar during the heat treatment. Finally, dense carbon materials with low graphitization instead of porous structure were prepared at 1200 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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15 pages, 3702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Catalytic Esterification of Levulinic Acid into the Biofuel n-Butyl Levulinate over Nanosized TiO₂ Particles

by Shuolin Zhou, Lu Wu, Junzhuo Bai, Min Lei, Min Long and Keying Huang

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3870; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12213870 - 02 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1657

Abstract

Levulinic esters, synthesized by the esterification of biomass-derived levulinic acid with various alcohols, is an important chemical that plays an essential role in the fields of biomass fuel additives, organic synthesis, and high value-added products. In the present work, the catalytic esterification of levulinic acid with n-butyl alcohol was selected as a typical model reaction to investigate the catalytic performance of an inexpensive commercial catalyst, titanium oxide nanoparticles. The influences of reaction time, reaction temperature, and catalyst loading on the conversion of levulinic acid to n-butyl levulinate were systematically examined through single-factor experiments. Additionally, the optimization of the reaction conditions was further investigated by a Box–Behnken design in response to the surface methodology. The desired product, n-butyl levulinate, with a good yield (77.6%) was achieved under the optimal conditions (reaction time of 8 h, reaction temperature of 120 °C, and catalyst dosage of 8.6 wt.%) when using titanium oxide nanoparticles as catalysts. Furthermore, it was found that addition of water to the catalytic system facilitated the reaction process, to some extent. This study reveals that the nanosized TiO₂ material_, as an efficient solid acid catalyst, had good catalytic performance and stability for the esterification of levulinic acid after six consecutive uses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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12 pages, 1850 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sulfuric Acid Immobilized on Activated Carbon Aminated with Ethylenediamine: An Efficient Reusable Catalyst for the Synthesis of Acetals (Ketals)

by Wenzhu Liu, Ruike Guo, Guanmin Peng and Dulin Yin

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(9), 1462; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12091462 - 25 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1702

Abstract

Through the amination of oxidized activated carbon with ethylenediamine and then the adsorption of sulfuric acid, a strong carbon-based solid acid catalyst with hydrogen sulfate (denoted as AC-N-SO₄H) was prepared, of which the surface acid density was 0.85 mmol/g. The acetalization of benzaldehyde with ethylene glycol catalyzed by AC-N-SO₄H was investigated. The optimized catalyst dosage accounted for 5 wt.% of the benzaldehyde mass, and the molar ratio of glycol to benzaldehyde was 1.75. After reacting such mixture at 80 °C for 5 h, the benzaldehyde was almost quantitatively converted into acetal; the conversion yield was up to 99.4%, and no byproduct was detected. It is surprising that the catalyst could be easily recovered and reused ten times without significant deactivation, with the conversion yield remaining above 99%. The catalyst also exhibited good substrate suitability for the acetalization of aliphatic aldehydes and the ketalization of ketones with different 1,2-diols. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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11 pages, 2801 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Analysis of Trace Arsenic(III) on a Au-Stained Au Nanoparticles/Pyridine/Carboxylated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes/Glassy Carbon Electrode

by Yun Du, Chenglong Sun, Yuru Shen, Luyao Liu, Mingjian Chen, Qingji Xie and Hongbo Xiao

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(9), 1450; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12091450 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1504

Abstract

A Au-stained Au nanoparticle (Au_s)/pyridine (Py)/carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (C-MWCNTs)/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was prepared for the sensitive analysis of As(III) by cast-coating of C-MWCNTs on a GCE, electroreduction of 4-cyanopyridine (cPy) to Py, adsorption of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and gold staining. The Py/C-MWCNTs/GCE can provide abundant active surface sites for the stable loading of AuNPs and then the AuNPs-initiated Au staining in HAuCl₄ + NH₂OH solution, giving a large surface area of Au on the Au_s/Py/C-MWCNTs/GCE for the linear sweep anodic stripping voltammetry (LSASV) analysis of As(III). At a high potential-sweep rate of 5 V s⁻¹, sharp two-step oxidation peaks of As(0) to As(III) and As(III) to As(V) were obtained to realize the sensitive dual-signal detection of As(III). Under optimal conditions, the ASLSV peak currents for oxidation of As(0) to As(III) and of As(III) to As(V) are linear with a concentration of As(III) from 0.01 to 8 μM with a sensitivity of 0.741 mA μM⁻¹ and a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.3 nM (0.25 ppb) (S/N = 3), and from 0.01 to 8.0 μM with a sensitivity of 0.175 mA μM⁻¹ and an LOD of 16.7 nM (1.20 ppb) (S/N = 3), respectively. Determination of As(III) in real water samples yielded satisfactory results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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11 pages, 5156 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Synergistic Effect of WS₂ and SWNTs on Tribological Performance of Polyether MDI Polyurethane Elastomer under Dry and Wet Friction Conditions

by Gang Lu, Changgeng Shuai, Yinsong Liu, Xue Yang and Xiaoyang Hu

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(8), 1267; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12081267 - 08 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1279

Abstract

To adapt to the complex application of polyurethane bearings, it is feasible to improve the tribological performance of single polyurethane-based friction materials through the synergistic effect produced by multi-component-lubricating fillers. In this context, rather than using tungsten disulfide (WS₂), which has demonstrated excellent self-lubricating performance as a lubricating oil additive, this paper proposes that WS₂ and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can be designed for addition into a polyether 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) polyurethane matrix as self-lubricating fillers so as to explore the synergistic effect of micro- and nano-lubricating fillers on the tribological performance of polyurethane matrix materials. Through a series of characterizations and tests, it was found that the dispersion of two-component-lubricating additives in a polyurethane matrix is improved when the ratio of WS₂ to SWNTs is roughly 2:1. In this case, the tribological performance of polyurethane matrix composites is more satisfactory than at other ratios. In addition, compared with the blank sample, the tribological performance of the synergistically modified polyurethane composites under dry friction is more significantly improved with the increase in contact load, while there is no significant improvement under water lubrication. Aside from contributing to the idea of exploring the synergistic effect of WS₂ and other micro or nanofillers, this method also opens up the possibility of practically applying WS₂ in the field of friction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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13 pages, 3711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Synthesis of Nitrogen–Doped Carbon Dots from Fresh Tea Leaves for Selective Fe³⁺ Ions Detection and Cellular Imaging

by Guili Ge, Lin Li, Mingjian Chen, Xu Wu, Yuxin Yang, Dan Wang, Sicheng Zuo, Zhaoyang Zeng, Wei Xiong and Can Guo

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(6), 986; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12060986 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2680

Abstract

In this research, we successfully developed a green, economical and effective one–step hydrothermal method for the synthesis of fluorescent nitrogen–doped carbon dots (N–CDs) by utilizing fresh tea leaves and urea as the carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The obtained N–CDs were characterized by TEM, XPS and FT–IR. We found that the N–CDs were near–spherical with an average size of about 2.32 nm, and contained abundant oxygen and nitrogen functional groups. The N–CDs exhibited bright blue fluorescence under ultraviolet illumination, with the maximum emission at 455 nm. Meanwhile, the as–prepared N–CDs could be selectively quenched by Fe³⁺ ions. The quenching of N–CDs is linearly correlated with the concentration of Fe³⁺ in the range of 0.1–400 μM with a low detection limit of 0.079 μM. Significantly, the N–CDs present excellent biocompatibility and high photostability. The results also depict that multicolor fluorescence is displayed under a fluorescence microscope and successfully applied for the detection of intracellular Fe³⁺. To sum up, the fluorescent N–CDs are expected to be a sensitive detection probe for Fe³⁺ in biological systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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13 pages, 4114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Highly Thermal Conductive Graphite Films Derived from the Graphitization of Chemically Imidized Polyimide Films

by Meijiao Sun, Xiaoqiang Wang, Zhengyu Ye, Xiaodong Chen, Yuhua Xue and Guangzhi Yang

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(3), 367; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12030367 - 24 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3969

Abstract

With the large-scale application and high-speed operation of electronic equipment, the thermal diffusion problem presents an increasing requirement for effective heat dissipation materials. Herein, high thermal conductive graphite films were fabricated via the graphitization of polyimide (PI) films with different amounts of chemical catalytic reagent. The results showed that chemically imidized PI (CIPI) films exhibit a higher tensile strength, thermal stability, and imidization degree than that of purely thermally imidized PI (TIPI) films. The graphite films derived from CIPI films present a more complete crystal orientation and ordered arrangement. With only 0.72% chemical catalytic reagent, the graphitized CIPI film achieved a high thermal conductivity of 1767 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, which is much higher than that of graphited TIPI film (1331 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹), with an increase of 32.8%. The high thermal conductivity is attributed to the large in-plane crystallite size and high crystal integrity. It is believed that the chemical imidization method prioritizes the preparation of high-quality PI films and helps graphite films achieve an excellent performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Carbon Chemistry and Its Applications)

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