1
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Eddy L, Xu S, Liu C, Scotland P, Chen W, Beckham JL, Damasceno B, Choi CH, Silva K, Lathem A, Han Y, Yakobson BI, Zhang X, Zhao Y, Tour JM. Electric Field Effects in Flash Joule Heating Synthesis. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38805019 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Flash Joule heating has emerged as an ultrafast, scalable, and versatile synthesis method for nanomaterials, such as graphene. Here, we experimentally and theoretically deconvolute the contributions of thermal and electrical processes to the synthesis of graphene by flash Joule heating. While traditional methods of graphene synthesis involve purely chemical or thermal driving forces, our results show that the presence of charge and the resulting electric field in a graphene precursor catalyze the formation of graphene. Furthermore, modulation of the current or the pulse width affords the ability to control the three-step phase transition of the material from amorphous carbon to turbostratic graphene and finally to ordered (AB and ABC-stacked) graphene and graphite. Finally, density functional theory simulations reveal that the presence of a charge- and current-induced electric field inside the graphene precursor facilitates phase transition by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. These results demonstrate that the passage of electrical current through a solid sample can directly drive nanocrystal nucleation in flash Joule heating, an insight that may inform future Joule heating or other electrical synthesis strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Eddy
- Applied Physics Graduate Program and Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Shichen Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Changhao Liu
- School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Phelecia Scotland
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Weiyin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Barbara Damasceno
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Chi Hun Choi
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Karla Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Alexander Lathem
- Applied Physics Graduate Program and Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Yimo Han
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Boris I Yakobson
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, the NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Xinfang Zhang
- School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Yufeng Zhao
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Physics, Corban University, 5000 Deer Park Drive SE, Salem, Oregon 97317, United States
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, the NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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2
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Chen F, Lv X, Wang H, Wen F, Qu L, Zheng G, Han Q. Weak-Field Electro-Flash Induced Asymmetric Catalytic Sites toward Efficient Solar Hydrogen Peroxide Production. JACS AU 2024; 4:1219-1228. [PMID: 38559724 PMCID: PMC10976576 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Borocarbonitride (BCN), in a mesoscopic asymmetric state, is regarded as a promising photocatalyst for artificial photosynthesis. However, BCN materials reported in the literature primarily consist of symmetric N-[B]3 units, which generate highly spatial coupled electron-hole pairs upon irradiation, thus kinetically suppressing the solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency. Here, we propose a facile and fast weak-field electro-flash strategy, with which structural symmetry breaking is introduced on key nitrogen sites. As-obtained double-substituted BCN (ds-BCN) possesses high-concentration asymmetric [B]2-N-C coordination, which displays a highly separated electron-hole state and broad visible-light harvesting, as well as provides electron-rich N sites for O2 affinity. Thereby, ds-BCN delivers an apparent quantum yield of 7.6% at 400 nm and a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 0.3% for selective 2e-reduction of O2 to H2O2, over 4-fold higher than that of the traditional calcined BCN analogue and superior to the metal-free C3N4-based photocatalysts reported so far. The weak-field electro-flash method and as-induced catalytic site symmetry-breaking methodologically provide a new method for the fast and low-cost fabrication of efficient nonmetallic catalysts toward solar-to-chemical conversions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshuai Chen
- Laboratory
of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, Key Laboratory
of Cluster Science, Ministry of Education of China, School of Chemistry
and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute
of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Ximeng Lv
- Laboratory
of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry and Shanghai Key Laboratory
of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Faculty of Chemistry
and Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Haozhen Wang
- Laboratory
of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry and Shanghai Key Laboratory
of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Faculty of Chemistry
and Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Fan Wen
- Laboratory
of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, Key Laboratory
of Cluster Science, Ministry of Education of China, School of Chemistry
and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute
of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Liangti Qu
- Key
Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering
of Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Gengfeng Zheng
- Laboratory
of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry and Shanghai Key Laboratory
of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Faculty of Chemistry
and Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| | - Qing Han
- Laboratory
of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry and Shanghai Key Laboratory
of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Faculty of Chemistry
and Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
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3
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Ma Y, Wu J, Xie H, Zhang R, Zhang Y, Liu E, Zhao N, He C, Wong AB. The Synthesis of Three-Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride as the Reinforcing Phase of Polymer-Based Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Li Metal Batteries. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202317256. [PMID: 38289336 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202317256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Powdery hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), as an important material for electrochemical energy storage, has been typically synthesized in bulk and one/two-dimensional (1/2D) nanostructured morphologies. However, until now, no method has been developed to synthesize powdery three-dimensional (3D) h-BN. This work introduces a novel NaCl-glucose-assisted strategy to synthesize micron-sized 3D h-BN with a honeycomb-like structure and its proposed formation mechanism. We propose that NaCl acts as the template of 3D structure and promotes the nitridation reaction by adsorbing NH3 . Glucose facilitates the homogeneous coating of boric acid onto the NaCl surface via functionalizing the NaCl surface. During the nitridation reaction, boron oxides (BO4 and BO3 ) form from a dehydration reaction of boric acid, which is then reduced to O2 -B-N and O-B-N2 intermediates before finally being reduced to BN3 by NH3 . When incorporated into polyethylene oxide-based electrolytes for Li metal batteries, 5 wt % of 3D h-BN significantly enhances ionic conductivity and mechanical strength. Consequently, this composite electrolyte demonstrates superior electrochemical stability. It delivers 300 h of stable cycles in the Li//Li cell at 0.1 mA cm-2 and retains 89 % of discharge capacity (138.9 mAh g-1 ) after 100 cycles at 1 C in the LFP//Li full cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Ma
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585
| | - Jiaxin Wu
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Haonan Xie
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Enzuo Liu
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Naiqin Zhao
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Chunnian He
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Andrew Barnabas Wong
- Joint School of the National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou, 350207, China
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575
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4
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Song Z, Chi X, Dong S, Meng B, Yu X, Liu X, Zhou Y, Wang J. Carboxylated Hexagonal Boron Nitride/Graphene Configuration for Electrosynthesis of High-Concentration Neutral Hydrogen Peroxide. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202317267. [PMID: 38158770 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202317267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) via two-electron (2e- ) oxygen (O2 ) reduction reaction (ORR) has great potential to replace the traditional energy-intensive anthraquinone process, but the design of low-cost and highly active and selective catalysts is greatly challenging for the long-term H2 O2 production under industrial relevant current density, especially under neutral electrolytes. To address this issue, this work constructed a carboxylated hexagonal boron nitride/graphene (h-BN/G) heterojunction on the commercial activated carbon through the coupling of B, N co-doping with surface oxygen groups functionalization. The champion catalyst exhibited a high 2e- ORR selectivity (>95 %), production rate (up to 13.4 mol g-1 h-1 ), and Faradaic efficiency (FE, >95 %). The long-term H2 O2 production under the high current density of 100 mA cm-2 caused the cumulative concentration as high as 2.1 wt %. The combination of in situ Raman spectra and theoretical calculation indicated that the carboxylated h-BN/G configuration promotes the adsorption of O2 and the stabilization of the key intermediates, allowing a low energy barrier for the rate-determining step of HOOH* release from the active site and thus improving the 2e- ORR performance. The fast dye degradation by using this electrochemical synthesized H2 O2 further illustrated the promising practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Xiao Chi
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
| | - Shu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Biao Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Xiaojiang Yu
- Singapore Synchrotron Light Source, National University of Singapore, 5 Research Link, Singapore, 117603, Singapore
| | - Xiaoling Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
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Advincula PA, Meng W, Eddy LJ, Scotland PZ, Beckham JL, Nagarajaiah S, Tour JM. Replacement of Concrete Aggregates with Coal-Derived Flash Graphene. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:1474-1481. [PMID: 38158378 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Each year, the growth of cities across developing economies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America drives demand for concrete to house and serve their burgeoning populations. Since 1950, the number of people living in urban areas has quadrupled to 4.2 billion, with another predicted 2.5 billion expected to join them in the next three decades. The largest component of concrete by volume is aggregates, such as sand and rocks, with sand as the most mined material in the world. However, the extraction rate of sand currently exceeds its natural replenishment rate, meaning that a global concrete-suitable sand shortage is extremely likely. As such, replacements for fine aggregates, such as sand, are in demand. Here, flash Joule heating (FJH) is used to convert coal-derived metallurgical coke (MC) into flash graphene aggregate (FGA), a blend of MC-derived flash graphene (MCFG), which mimics a natural aggregate (NA) in size. While graphene and graphene oxide have previously been used as reinforcing additives to concrete, in this contribution, FGA is used as a total aggregate replacement for NA, resulting in 25% lighter concrete with increases in toughness, peak strain, and specific compressive strength of 32, 33, and 21%, respectively, with a small reduction in specific Young's modulus of 11%. FJH can potentially enable the replacement of fine NA with FGA, resulting in lighter, stronger concrete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Advincula
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Wei Meng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Lucas J Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Phelecia Z Scotland
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Jacob L Beckham
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Satish Nagarajaiah
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street,Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
- Smalley-Curl Institute, NanoCarbon Center, and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
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Advincula PA, Beckham JL, Choi CH, Chen W, Han Y, Kosynkin DV, Lathem A, Mayoral A, Yacaman MJ, Tour JM. Tunable Hybridized Morphologies Obtained through Flash Joule Heating of Carbon Nanotubes. ACS NANO 2023; 17:2506-2516. [PMID: 36693241 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c10125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid carbon nanomaterials, such as those that incorporate carbon nanotubes into graphene sheets, have been found to display interesting mechanical and electrical properties because of their covalent bonding and π-π stacking domains. However, synthesis of these hybrid materials is limited by the high energetic cost of techniques like chemical vapor deposition. Here, we demonstrate the solvent- and gas-free synthesis of a 2D carbon nanotube/graphene network through flash Joule heating of pristine carbon nanotubes. The relative proportion of each morphology in the hybrid material can be tuned by varying the pulse time, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and microscopy. Triboindentation of epoxy composites made with the hybrid material shows increases of 162% and 64% to the hardness and Young's modulus, respectively, compared with the neat epoxy. These results demonstrate that flash Joule heating can be used to inexpensively convert carbon nanotubes into a hybrid network of nanotubes and graphene for use as an effective reinforcing additive in epoxy composites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alvaro Mayoral
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), University of Zaragoza, 12 Calle de Pedro Cerbuna, 50009Zaragoza, Spain
- Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Mariano Esquillor Edificio I+D, 50018ZaragozaSpain
- Center for High-Resolution Electron Microscopy (ChEM), School of Physical Science and Technology, ShangaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong, Shangai201210, China
| | - Miguel Jose Yacaman
- Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science, Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona86011, United States
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