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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 23457

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Dipendu Saha

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
Interests: nanoporous materials; porous carbons; photocatalysis; plasmonic systems; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Porous carbon materials have versatile applications in the modern world. Different varieties of carbon exist, including activated carbon, nano carbon, soft and hard templated mesoporous carbon, carbon fibers, or biochar. Out of all of the applications of carbon-based materials, this Special Issue of Molecules invites papers that specifically target the application of carbon-based materials towards sustainability. These applications include, but are not limited to, carbon capture, air purification, water purification, trace contaminants removal, and sensing and removal of chemical warfare agents. Synthesis of carbon-based materials by a sustainable approach will also fall under this category.

Prof. Dr. Dipendu Saha
Guest Editor

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Related Special Issue

Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry: 2nd Edition in Molecules (1 article)

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4826 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Mg-Modified Waste Straw Biochar on the Chemical and Biological Properties of Acidic Soils

by Zhigao Liu, Di Yuan, Xianxian Qin, Peng He and Yunlin Fu

Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5225; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135225 - 5 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1238

Abstract

Biochar is important for soil improvement, fertilizer innovation, and greenhouse gas reduction. In this paper, Mg-modified biochar was prepared from rice and corn straw and mixed with soil at a 1% (w/w) addition in an indoor soil simulation experiment to study the effect of Mg-modified biochar on the chemical properties of acidic soil. The results showed that the addition of Mg-modified biochar reduced soil acidity and improved soil fertility. Compared with the control group, the Mg-modified biochar treatment significantly increased the concentrations of available potassium, available phosphorus, total phosphorus, organic carbon and exchangeable calcium and magnesium in the soil, and effectively increased the concentration of total nitrogen. Rice straw Mg-modified biochar treatment was more effective in increasing the soil-available potassium, available phosphorus, total phosphorus and exchangeable magnesium concentration, while corn straw Mg-modified biochar was more effective in increasing the soil organic carbon and exchangeable calcium concentration. In addition, the high pyrolysis temperature of Mg-modified biochar was more effective in promoting the soil-available potassium, available phosphorus and total nitrogen concentration, while the low pyrolysis temperature of Mg-modified biochar was more effective in promoting soil alkaline nitrogen, exchangeable calcium and magnesium. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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11 pages, 6940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Carbonization Temperature on Microstructures and Properties of Electrospun Tantalum Carbide/Carbon Fibers

by Hongtao Guo, Xiaofan Ma, Qiqi Lv, Chunmei Zhang and Gaigai Duan

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3430; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083430 - 13 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1590

Abstract

Compared with traditional metal materials, carbon-based materials have the advantages of low density, high conductivity, good chemical stability, etc., and can be used as reliable alternative materials in various fields. Among them, the carbon fiber conductive network constructed by electrospinning technology has the advantages of high porosity, high specific surface area and rich heterogeneous interface. In order to further improve the conductivity and mechanical properties of pure carbon fiber films, tantalum carbide (TaC) nanoparticles were selected as conductive fillers. The crystallization degree, electrical and mechanical properties of electrospun TaC/C nanofibers at different temperatures were investigated. As the carbonization temperature increases, the crystallization degree and electrical conductivity of the sample also increases, while the growth trend of electrical conductivity is markedly slowed. The best mechanical properties of 12.39 MPa was achieved when the carbonization temperature was 1200 °C. Finally, through comprehensive analysis and comparison, it can be concluded that a carbonization temperature of 1200 °C is the optimum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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14 pages, 3229 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficient and Selective Removal of Organic Cationic Dyes by Peel of Brassica juncea Coss. var. gemmifera Lee et Lin-Based Biochar

by Tao-Tao Shi, Xin-Yu Jiang and Jin-Gang Yu

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3353; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083353 - 11 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1356

Abstract

The design and preparation of cheaper, greener and more efficient adsorbents is essential for the removal of pollutants by adsorption. In this study, biochar was prepared from peel of Brassica juncea var. gemmifera Lee et Lin (PoBJ) using a facile, low-temperature and vacuum pyrolysis, and the adsorption mechanism toward organic dyes in aqueous solution was elucidated. The adsorbent was characterized by XPS, FT-IR and SEM, and zeta potential techniques. The adsorption ability of PoBJ biochar for cationic dyes (methylene blue, brilliant green, calcein-safranine, azure I, rhodamine B), anionic dyes (alizarin yellow R), and neutral dyes (neutral red) revealed that the biochar exhibited adsorption selectivity toward cationic dyes. The effects of different factors on the adsorption performance of PoBJ biochar, as well as the adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics, were further investigated by using methylene blue as the model adsorbate. These factors included temperature, pH, contact time and dye concentration. The experimental results showed that BJ280 and BJ160 (prepared at 280 °C and 160 °C, respectively) possessed relatively higher adsorption capacity of 192.8 and 167.40 mg g⁻¹ for methylene blue (MB), respectively, demonstrating the possibility of utilization of PoBJ biochar as a superior bio-adsorbent. The experimental data of BJ160 toward MB were correlated with various kinetic and isothermal models. The results indicated that the adsorption process was consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model and nonlinear pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption of MB onto BJ160 was exothermic. Thus, the low-temperature prepared PoBJ biochar was an environmentally friendly, economic and efficient cationic dye adsorbent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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10 pages, 2695 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Sweet-Potato-Vine-Based High-Performance Porous Carbon for Methylene Blue Adsorption

by Wenlin Zhang, Yuhong Zhao, Qinhong Liao, Zhexin Li, Dengwei Jue and Jianmin Tang

Molecules 2023, 28(2), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020819 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1578

Abstract

In this study, sweet-potato-vine-based porous carbon (SPVPC) was prepared using zinc chloride as an activating and pore-forming agent. The optimised SPVPC exhibited abundant porous structures with a high specific surface area of 1397.8 m² g⁻¹. Moreover, SPVPC exhibited excellent adsorption characteristics for removing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The maximum adsorption capacity for MB reached 653.6 mg g⁻¹, and the reusability was satisfactory. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm were in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir models, respectively. The adsorption mechanism was summarised as the synergistic effects of the hierarchically porous structures in SPVPC and various interactions between SPVPC and MB. Considering its low cost and excellent adsorption performance, the prepared porous carbon is a promising adsorbent candidate for dye wastewater treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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12 pages, 4183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Direct Ink 3D Printing of Porous Carbon Monoliths for Gas Separations

by Marisa L. Comroe, Kurt W. Kolasinski and Dipendu Saha

Molecules 2022, 27(17), 5653; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27175653 - 2 Sep 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2139

Abstract

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is the advanced method of manufacturing monolithic adsorbent materials. Unlike beads or pellets, 3D monolithic adsorbents possess the advantages of widespread structural varieties, low heat and mass transfer resistance, and low channeling of fluids. Despite a large volume of research on 3D printing of adsorbents having been reported, such studies on porous carbons are highly limited. In this work, we have reported direct ink 3D printing of porous carbon; the ink consisted of commercial activated carbon, a gel of poly(4-vinylphenol) and Pluronic F127 as plasticizer, and bentonite as the binder. The 3D printing was performed in a commercial 3D printer that has been extensively modified in the lab. Upon 3D printing and carbonization, the resultant 3D printed porous carbon demonstrated a stable structure with a BET area of 400 m²/g and a total pore volume of 0.27 cm³/g. The isotherms of six pure-component gases, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, N₂, CO, and H₂, were measured on this carbon monolith at 298 K and pressure up to 1 bar. The selectivity of four gas pairs, C₂H₆/CH₄, CH₄/N₂, CO/H₂, and CO₂/N₂, was calculated by Ideally Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST) and reported. Ten continuous cycles of adsorption and desorption of CO₂ on this carbon confirmed no loss of working capacity of the adsorbent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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21 pages, 7528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nanoporous Carbon from Oil Palm Leaves via Hydrothermal Carbonization-Combined KOH Activation for Paraquat Removal

by Sirayu Chanpee, Napat Kaewtrakulchai, Narathon Khemasiri, Apiluck Eiad-ua and Pornsawan Assawasaengrat

Molecules 2022, 27(16), 5309; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27165309 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2048

Abstract

In this study, nano-porous carbon was completely obtained from oil palm leaves (OPL) by hydrothermal pretreatment with chemical activation, using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as an activating agent. Potassium hydroxide was varied, with different ratios of 1:0.25, 1:1, and 1:4 (C: KOH; w/w) during activation. The physical morphology of nano-porous carbon has a spongy, sponge-like structure indicating an increase in specific surface area and porosity with the increasing amount of KOH activating agent. The highest specific surface area of OPL nano-porous carbon is approximately 1685 m²·g⁻¹, with a total pore volume of 0.907 cm³·g⁻¹. Moreover, the OPL nano-porous carbon significantly showed a mesoporous structure designed specifically to remove water pollutants. The adsorptive behavior of OPL nano-porous carbon was quantified by using paraquat as the target pollutant. The equilibrium analyzes were explained by the Langmuir model isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The maximum efficiency of paraquat removal in wastewater was 79%, at a paraquat concentration of 400 mg·L⁻¹, for 10 min in the adsorption experiment. The results of this work demonstrated the practical application of nano-porous carbon derived from oil palm leaves as an alternative adsorbent for removing paraquat and other organic matter in wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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15 pages, 1886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of 17β-Estradiol Adsorption on Corn Straw- and Dewatered Sludge-Biochar in Aqueous Solutions

by Wei Guo, Junhui Yue, Qian Zhao, Li Zhang and Shaoyong Lu

Molecules 2022, 27(8), 2567; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27082567 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1416

Abstract

Removal of steroid hormones from aqueous environment is of prevailing concern because of their adverse impact on organisms. Using biochar derived from biomass as adsorbent to remove pollutants has become more popular due to its low cost, effectiveness, and sustainability. This study evaluated the feasibility of applying corn straw biochar (CSB) and dewatered sludge biochar (DSB) to reduce 17β-estradiol (E2) from aquatic solutions by adsorption. The experimental results showed that the adsorption kinetics and isotherm behavior of E2 on the two biochars were well described by the pseudo-second-order (R² > 0.93) and Langmuir models (R² > 0.97). CSB has higher E2 adsorption capacity than DSB, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 99.8 mg/g obtained from Langmuir model at 298 K, which can be attributed to the higher surface area, porosity, and hydrophobicity of this adsorbent. Higher pH levels (>10.2) decreased the adsorption capacities of biochar for E2, while the ionic strength did not significantly affect the adsorption process. The regeneration ability of CSB was slightly better than that of DSB. The possible adsorption mechanism for E2 on biochar is suggested as π–π interactions, H–bonding, and micropores filling. These results indicated that CSB has more potential and application value than DSB on reducing E2 from aqueous solutions when considering economy and removal performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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10 pages, 1944 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth Properties of Carbon Nanowalls on Nickel and Titanium Interlayers

by May Tran Thi, Seokhun Kwon, Hyunil Kang, Jung-Hyun Kim, Yong-Kyu Yoon and Wonseok Choi

Molecules 2022, 27(2), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27020406 - 9 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1473

Abstract

This research is conducted in order to investigate the structural and electrical characteristics of carbon nanowalls (CNWs) according to the sputtering time of interlayers. The thin films were deposited through RF magnetron sputtering with a 4-inch target (Ni and Ti) on the glass substrates, and the growth times of the deposition were 5, 10, and 30 min. Then, a microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system was used to grow CNWs on the interlayer-coated glass substrates by using a mixture of H₂ and CH₄ gases. The FE-SEM analysis of the cross-sectional and planar images confirmed that the thickness of interlayers linearly increased according to the deposition time. Furthermore, CNWs grown on the Ni interlayer were taller and denser than those grown on the Ti interlayer. Hall measurement applied to measure sheet resistance and conductivity confirmed that the electrical efficiency improved significantly as the Ni or Ti interlayers were used. Additionally, UV-Vis spectroscopy was also used to analyze the variations in light transmittance; CNWs synthesized on Ni-coated glass have lower average transmittance than those synthesized on Ti-coated glass. Based on this experiment, it was found that the direct growth of CNW was possible on the metal layer and the CNWs synthesized on Ni interlayers showed outstanding structural and electrical characterizations than the remaining interlayer type. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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10 pages, 1176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nanosheets with High-Performance Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction Revived from Green Walnut Peel

by Yifei Zhou, Lei Yan and Junhua Hou

Molecules 2022, 27(1), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010328 - 5 Jan 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2372

Abstract

The synthesis of metal-free carbon-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) to replace conventional Pt-based catalysts has become a hot spot in current research. This work proposes an activation-assisted carbonization strategy, to manufacture N-doped ultra-thin carbon nanosheets (GWS180M800) with high catalytic activity, namely, melamine is used as an accelerator/nitrogen source, and walnut green peels biological waste as a carbon source. The melamine acts as a nitrogen donor in the hydrothermal process, effectively enhancing the nitrogen doping rate. The content of pyridine nitrogen groups accounts for up to 48.5% of the total nitrogen content. Electrochemical tests show that the GWS180M800 has excellent ORR electrocatalytic activity and stability, and makes a quasi-four-electron ORR pathway clear in the alkaline electrolyte. The initial potential and half slope potential are as high as 1.01 and 0.82 V vs. RHE, respectively. The GWS180M800 catalyst has a better ability to avoid methanol cross poisoning than Pt/C has. Compared with 20 wt% Pt/C, GWS180M800 has improved methanol tolerance and stability. It is a metal-free biochar ORR catalyst with great development potential and application prospects. This result provides a new space for the preparation of valuable porous nano-carbon materials based on carbonaceous solid waste and provides new ideas for catalyzing a wide range of electrochemical reactions in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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Review

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38 pages, 4678 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plant and Microbial Approaches as Green Methods for the Synthesis of Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Applications, and Future Perspectives

by Norah Salem Alsaiari, Fatimah Mohammed Alzahrani, Abdelfattah Amari, Haitham Osman, Hamed N. Harharah, Noureddine Elboughdiri and Mohamed A. Tahoon

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010463 - 3 Jan 2023

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 7295

Abstract

The unique biological and physicochemical characteristics of biogenic (green-synthesized) nanomaterials (NMs) have attracted significant interest in different fields, with applications in the agrochemical, food, medication delivery, cosmetics, cellular imaging, and biomedical industries. To synthesize biogenic nanomaterials, green synthesis techniques use microorganisms, plant extracts, or proteins as bio-capping and bio-reducing agents and their role as bio-nanofactories for material synthesis at the nanoscale size. Green chemistry is environmentally benign, biocompatible, nontoxic, and economically effective. By taking into account the findings from recent investigations, we shed light on the most recent developments in the green synthesis of nanomaterials using different types of microbes and plants. Additionally, we cover different applications of green-synthesized nanomaterials in the food and textile industries, water treatment, and biomedical applications. Furthermore, we discuss the future perspectives of the green synthesis of nanomaterials to advance their production and applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon-Based Materials for Sustainable Chemistry)

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