Scalable lignin/graphite electrodes formed by mechanochemistry

Area of Science:

• Renewable energy materials
• Biomass conversion
• Electrode fabrication

Background:

• Lignin is an abundant, low-cost biopolymer suitable for energy storage due to its quinone groups.
• Lignin's insulating nature necessitates conductive materials for electrode applications.
• Graphite is a cost-effective conductive material for organic electrodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop scalable and cost-effective organic electrodes using lignin and graphite.
• To investigate the electrochemical properties of lignin-graphite hybrid materials.
• To overcome the limitations of pure lignin in energy storage applications.

Main Methods:

• Solvent-free mechanical milling of lignosulfonate (LS) and graphite.
• Fabrication of LS/graphite hybrid electrodes without additives.
• Characterization of electrode conductivity and discharge capacity.

Main Results:

• LS/graphite hybrid electrodes were successfully fabricated using a solvent-free method.
• Ball milling resulted in graphite particle size reduction and few-layer graphene formation.
• The LS/graphite electrode (4/1 w/w) exhibited a conductivity of 280 S m^-1 and a discharge capacity of 35 mA h g^-1.

Conclusions:

• The developed LS/graphite hybrid material is a promising candidate for scalable organic electrodes.
• The solvent-free mechanical milling approach offers a cost-effective and sustainable method for electrode production.
• This research paves the way for utilizing lignin in advanced energy storage systems.