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Dual-function lignin monomers enable high-performance graphene electrodes via interface confinement and proton
Weisheng Yang1, Shu Feng1, Danning Wang1
1Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forestry Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|May 6, 2025
Summary
This study presents a green method for graphene oxide energy storage using lignin-derived vanillyl alcohol. This approach enhances proton transfer and creates high-performance, sustainable supercapacitors.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Biomass Valorization
Background:
- Graphene oxide (GO) energy storage is limited by unsustainable reduction methods and slow proton transfer.
- Developing eco-friendly and efficient GO reduction strategies is crucial for advanced energy storage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a sustainable, dual-function monomer for simultaneous GO reduction and proton transport enhancement.
- To develop high-performance, biomass-derived materials for energy storage applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing lignin-derived vanillyl alcohol (VA) as a monomer with graphene oxide (GO).
- Employing mild thermal annealing (<100 °C) for GO reduction and VA self-polymerization.
- Characterizing the resulting reduced graphene oxide-P-VA (rGO-P-VA) electrode structure and performance.
- Conducting Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to understand proton dynamics.
Main Results:
- Vanillyl alcohol (VA) acts as both a reducing agent for GO and a proton highway after polymerization (P-VA).
- The rGO-P-VA electrode exhibits a record volumetric capacitance of 311.1 F/cm³ (777.8 F/cm²) with 87.8% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles.
- Flexible solid-state supercapacitors achieve 94.2 μWh/cm² energy density.
Conclusions:
- This green strategy effectively addresses GO reduction and proton transfer bottlenecks in energy storage.
- The integration of biomass valorization with graphene engineering offers a scalable and sustainable approach for high-performance energy storage devices.
