Chemically Induced Compatible Interface in Pyrolyzed Bacterial Cellulose/Graphene Sandwich for Electrochemical Energy...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Bacterial cellulose and graphene are promising materials for energy storage.
• Enhancing interfacial compatibility is crucial for improving electrode performance.
• Existing methods often struggle to achieve strong, stable chemical interactions between components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multi-layered porous pyrolyzed bacterial cellulose (PBC)/graphene sandwich structure.
• To enhance chemical bonding interactions between PBC and graphene layers.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed material as an electrode for supercapacitors and lithium-sulfur batteries.

Main Methods:

• A three-step synthesis approach was employed.
• Esterification was used to create chemical bonds between PBC and graphene.
• Electrochemical performance was tested for supercapacitors and lithium-sulfur batteries.

Main Results:

• Successfully enhanced chemical bonding interactions via esterification.
• Achieved a three-fold increase in specific capacitance for supercapacitors (393 F g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1).
• Demonstrated high initial discharge specific capacity (~1100 mAhg^-1) and coulombic efficiency (99% after 300 cycles) for lithium-sulfur batteries.

Conclusions:

• The chemically induced compatible interface significantly improves mass transfer efficiency.
• The PBC/graphene sandwich is a highly effective electrode material for advanced energy storage devices.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for developing high-performance energy storage solutions.