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Mesoporous Carbon Microfibers for Electroactive Materials Derived from Lignocellulose Nanofibrils
Ling Wang1, Maryam Borghei1, Amal Ishfaq1
1Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, Vuorimiehentie 1, Espoo 02150, Finland.
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
|December 7, 2020
Summary
This study presents a green method to create carbon microfibers from wood lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF). These fibers show high conductivity and are used in stable fiber supercapacitors for energy storage and bioelectronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Biobased materials are increasingly used in electronics and energy storage.
- Current biobased materials often require high-grade or refined cellulosic components.
- There is a need for facile and sustainable routes to advanced carbon materials from abundant biomass.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a green and facile method for producing continuous carbon microfibers from lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF).
- To investigate the properties of these carbon microfibers for energy storage applications, specifically supercapacitors.
- To explore the role of lignin content and anionic cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNF) in fiber properties and performance.
Main Methods:
- Mechanical fibrillation of wood to obtain LCNF.
- Wet spinning of LCNF, with optional addition of TOCNF, into continuous microfibers.
- Single-step carbonization of the spun fibers at 900 °C.
- Characterization of carbon microfibers' morphology, conductivity, and surface area.
- Fabrication and testing of fiber-shaped supercapacitors using the carbon microfibers.
Main Results:
- Synthesized carbon microfibers with high carbon yield (29%) and electrical conductivity (66 S cm⁻¹) due to high lignin content in LCNF.
- Incorporation of TOCNF improved spinnability and created porous structures beneficial for electrochemical double layer capacitance (EDLC).
- Fiber supercapacitors demonstrated excellent electrochemical stability (>93% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles) and respectable energy/power densities (0.25 mW h cm⁻³ / 65.1 mW cm⁻³).
Conclusions:
- Wood-derived LCNF provide a sustainable source for high-performance carbon microfibers.
- The developed method offers a green and efficient pathway to functional carbon materials for energy storage.
- These carbon microfibers are promising for integration into wearable electronics and flexible energy storage devices.
