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The Influence of Starting Plant Material on Ni@C-Type Composites' Characteristics
Kamil Dudek1, Stanisław Małecki1, Kamil Kornaus2
1Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Krakow Mickiewicz Avenue 30, 30-059 Cracow, Poland.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 28, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed novel activated carbon (AC) materials from biomass. These ACs were functionalized with nickel (Ni) nanoparticles, showing excellent thermal stability and high Ni loading, suitable for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Activated carbon (AC) is a versatile material derived from biomass.
- Functionalization of AC with metal nanoparticles enhances its properties.
- Developing sustainable methods for producing advanced materials is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize novel activated carbon materials from various biomass sources.
- To synthesize nickel (Ni) nanoparticles onto these activated carbons.
- To evaluate the thermal stability, surface properties, and Ni loading efficiency of the developed materials.
Main Methods:
- Biomass pellets (willow, knotweed, maple) were pyrolyzed to produce activated carbon.
- Nickel nanoparticles were synthesized via impregnation with nickel nitrate solution.
- Characterization employed Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (MP-AES), Differential Scanning Calorimetry-Thermogravimetric Analysis (DSC-TGA), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis.
Main Results:
- Activated carbons exhibited good thermal stability up to 800 °C.
- BET analysis indicated well-developed surfaces for most specimens.
- High nickel loading efficiency was achieved, with 165 mg Ni per gram of maple-derived carbon, and Ni was well-distributed across the surface.
Conclusions:
- Biomass-derived activated carbons can be effectively functionalized with nickel nanoparticles.
- The synthesized materials demonstrate excellent thermal stability and high metal loading capacity.
- These findings suggest potential applications in catalysis, adsorption, or energy storage.
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