Research on Mesoporous Carbon for Energy Materials
Mesoporous Carbon for Energy Materials
Why do we focus on mesoporous non-graphitic carbon?
Non-graphitic carbon plays an important role for the transition towards renewable energies due to the application in both batteries and electrocatalysts. Especially mesoporous carbon in its non-graphitic form shows promising results when used as anode material in sodium ion batteries or as support for electrocatalytic applications. The performance strongly depends on the pore system – in particular, pore connectivity. Thus, soft templating protocols require a rational design. In the Smarsly group, this is accomplished by systematic adjustment of template and synthesis conditions combined with a meticulous pore structure analysis.
Besides morphology, the atomic order of the carbon material is a fundamental feature governing its properties and depending on the starting materials as well as the carbonization temperature. Variation of these parameters coupled with a thorough microstructure analysis by X-ray scattering and Raman spectroscopy is a key expertise of our group.
Current Research Projects / Contacts
While Chantal is relating the microstructure and pore morphology of mesoporous non-graphitic carbons with their properties as anode materials in sodium ion batteries, Lysander is investigating mesoporous thin films of non-graphitic carbon as support for electrocatalysis.
Feel free to stop by office B 29 or B 8 if you are interested in a Bachelor’s/Master’s or advanced thesis!
Further Reading
Peering into the structural evolution of glass-like carbons derived from phenolic resin by combining small-angle neutron scattering with an advanced evaluation method for wide-angle X-ray scattering
F. Badaczewski, M.O. Loeh, T. Pfaff, S. Dobrotka, D. Wallacher, D. Clemens, J. Metz, B. M. Smarsly (2019). Carbon, 141, 169-181.
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2018.09.025
Hard-templating of carbon using porous SiO2 monoliths revisited - Quantitative impact of spatial confinement on the microstructure evolution
M.O. Loeh, F. Badaczewski, M. von der Lehr, R. Ellinghaus, S. Dobrotka, J. Metz, B. M. Smarsly (2018). Carbon, 129, 552-563.
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2017.12.044
Lignin-Derived Mesoporous Carbon for Sodium-Ion Batteries: Block Copolymer Soft Templating and Carbon Microstructure Analysis
C. Glatthaar , M. Wang, L.Q. Wagner , F. Breckwoldt , Z. Guo, K. Zheng, M. Kriechbaum, H. Amenitsch, M.-M. Titirici, B.M. Smarsly (2023). Chem. Mater. 35, 24, 10416-10433.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c01520
X-ray Scattering of Non-Graphitic Carbon: An Improved Method of Evaluation
W. Ruland, B. M. Smarsly (2002). J. Appl. Cryst., 35, 624-633.
DOI: 10.1107/S0021889802011007