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Tailoring C─N Containing Compounds into Carbon Nanomaterials with Tunable Morphologies for Electrocatalytic Applications

Wan, Wenchao ; Zhao, Yonggui ; Meng, Jie LU ; Allen, Christopher S. ; Zhou, Ying and Patzke, Greta R. (2023) In Small
Abstract

Carbon materials with unique sp2-hybridization are extensively researched for catalytic applications due to their excellent conductivity and tunable physicochemical properties. However, the development of economic approaches to tailoring carbon materials into desired morphologies remains a challenge. Herein, a convenient “bottom-up” strategy by pyrolysis of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) (or other carbon/nitrogen (C, N)-enriched compounds) together with selected metal salts and molecules is reported for the construction of different carbon-based catalysts with tunable morphologies, including carbon nano-balls, carbon nanotubes, nitrogen/sulfur (S, N) doped-carbon nanosheets, and single-atom catalysts,... (More)

Carbon materials with unique sp2-hybridization are extensively researched for catalytic applications due to their excellent conductivity and tunable physicochemical properties. However, the development of economic approaches to tailoring carbon materials into desired morphologies remains a challenge. Herein, a convenient “bottom-up” strategy by pyrolysis of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) (or other carbon/nitrogen (C, N)-enriched compounds) together with selected metal salts and molecules is reported for the construction of different carbon-based catalysts with tunable morphologies, including carbon nano-balls, carbon nanotubes, nitrogen/sulfur (S, N) doped-carbon nanosheets, and single-atom catalysts, supported by carbon layers. The catalysts are systematically investigated through various microscopic, spectroscopic, and diffraction methods and they demonstrate promising and broad applications in electrocatalysis such as in the oxygen reduction reaction and water splitting. Mechanistic monitoring of the synthesis process through online thermogravimetric-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements indicates that the release of C─N-related moieties, such as dicyan, plays a key role in the growth of carbon products. This enables to successfully predict other widely available precursor compounds beyond g-C3N4 such as caffeine, melamine, and urea. This work develops a novel and economic strategy to generate morphologically diverse carbon-based catalysts and provides new, essential insights into the growth mechanism of carbon nanomaterials syntheses.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
carbon nanotubes, carbon nitride, electrocatalysis, N-doped carbon, single-atom catalysts
in
Small
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:37821413
  • scopus:85173650469
ISSN
1613-6810
DOI
10.1002/smll.202304663
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1e5ad220-d3ef-4c12-a82c-b3464c34d7f6
date added to LUP
2023-12-19 15:30:24
date last changed
2024-04-18 01:40:49
@article{1e5ad220-d3ef-4c12-a82c-b3464c34d7f6,
  abstract     = {{<p>Carbon materials with unique sp<sup>2</sup>-hybridization are extensively researched for catalytic applications due to their excellent conductivity and tunable physicochemical properties. However, the development of economic approaches to tailoring carbon materials into desired morphologies remains a challenge. Herein, a convenient “bottom-up” strategy by pyrolysis of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) (or other carbon/nitrogen (C, N)-enriched compounds) together with selected metal salts and molecules is reported for the construction of different carbon-based catalysts with tunable morphologies, including carbon nano-balls, carbon nanotubes, nitrogen/sulfur (S, N) doped-carbon nanosheets, and single-atom catalysts, supported by carbon layers. The catalysts are systematically investigated through various microscopic, spectroscopic, and diffraction methods and they demonstrate promising and broad applications in electrocatalysis such as in the oxygen reduction reaction and water splitting. Mechanistic monitoring of the synthesis process through online thermogravimetric-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements indicates that the release of C─N-related moieties, such as dicyan, plays a key role in the growth of carbon products. This enables to successfully predict other widely available precursor compounds beyond g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> such as caffeine, melamine, and urea. This work develops a novel and economic strategy to generate morphologically diverse carbon-based catalysts and provides new, essential insights into the growth mechanism of carbon nanomaterials syntheses.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wan, Wenchao and Zhao, Yonggui and Meng, Jie and Allen, Christopher S. and Zhou, Ying and Patzke, Greta R.}},
  issn         = {{1613-6810}},
  keywords     = {{carbon nanotubes; carbon nitride; electrocatalysis; N-doped carbon; single-atom catalysts}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Small}},
  title        = {{Tailoring C─N Containing Compounds into Carbon Nanomaterials with Tunable Morphologies for Electrocatalytic Applications}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smll.202304663}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/smll.202304663}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}