Two new doping-free manufacturing processes for bread-derived carbon electrodes with control over micro- and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Sustainable Engineering
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Pyrolyzed carbon electrodes (PCEs) offer sustainable alternatives for electric devices.
• Current PCE fabrication methods face challenges in controlling surface geometry and emphasizing a sustainable life cycle.
• Existing research has focused on nanoscale, functionalization, and separation applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce two new methodologies for creating sustainable PCEs with controlled surface geometries.
• To enable the reuse of electrode precursors (EPs) and upcycle biologically derived waste.
• To avoid chemical modifications in the fabrication process.

Main Methods:

• Stamping: A 3D printed electrode precursor (EP) shapes an organic material.
• Reconstitution: The EP acts as a mold as an organic material/water mixture dries.
• Both methods utilize reusable EPs and upcycled waste products without chemical alteration.

Main Results:

• PCEs fabricated using stamping and reconstitution maintain defined micro-scale structures.
• Surface features scale by 0.78 during reconstitution and 0.68 during stamping.
• These methods achieve previously unachievable resolution visible to the naked eye.

Conclusions:

• Stamping and reconstitution are effective, sustainable methods for fabricating PCEs with controlled surface geometries.
• These pathways allow for material upcycling and precursor reuse, contributing to a circular economy.
• The developed techniques offer enhanced micro-scale structural definition and visual resolution for PCEs.