Carbon black reborn: Structure and chemistry for renewable energy harnessing

Abstract

Carbon Black (CB) is one of the most abundantly produced carbon nanostructured materials, and approximately 70% of it is used as pigment and as reinforcing phase in rubber and plastics. Recent scientific findings report on other uses of CB that are of current interest, such as renewable energy harvesting and carbon capture. The present review focuses on the use and role of CB in renewable and environmental applications relevant to contemporary global challenges focusing specifically on clean energy. Key and recent research on the structure and chemistry of CB, including its uses as precursors to graphene quantum dots and hollow carbon spheres, is discussed in relation to renewable energy devices, electrochemical energy storage and environmental remediation. The surface chemistry of CB is closely related to that of graphitic and of turbostratic carbons through the predominant hexagonal carbon lattice from graphene fragments forming its basic structural units. Consequently, modern methods for grafting polymers and functional groups are easily translated to this abundant nanostructured material. Moreover, recent advances in electron microscopy that probe the structure of CB, and its electronic and physicochemical properties in nanocomposites revived the attention of what is wrongfully considered as a scientifically uninspiring material with limited potential for future technology breakthrough. CB has the potential to surge as a key player in renewable energy and environmental applications, meaning "When Black Turns Green".

Pore Development during the Carbonization Process of Lignin Microparticles Investigated by Small Angle X-ray Scattering

“…Especially carbonization of lignin opens new possibilities for the production of, e.g., lignin-based carbon fibers [ 7 ], lignin-based carbon nanotubes [ 8 ] or carbon black [ 9 , 10 ], of which carbon black has clearly the largest market. Carbon black is derived on industrial scale from aromatic oils rich in hydrocarbons or from hydrocarbons directly [ 11 ], sometimes from other sources, like, e.g., carbides [ 12 ]. Carbon black has a wide field of applications, ranging from pigments and reinforcing filler materials for stability or enhanced electrical conductivity [ 13 ] to new energy applications like supercapacitors, batteries or even solar devices [ 11 , 12 ].…”

“…Carbon black is derived on industrial scale from aromatic oils rich in hydrocarbons or from hydrocarbons directly [ 11 ], sometimes from other sources, like, e.g., carbides [ 12 ]. Carbon black has a wide field of applications, ranging from pigments and reinforcing filler materials for stability or enhanced electrical conductivity [ 13 ] to new energy applications like supercapacitors, batteries or even solar devices [ 11 , 12 ]. The applicability of carbon materials is highly dependent on material properties like electrical conductivity, porosity and pore size [ 12 , 14 ].…”

NiO/Carbon Aerogel Microspheres with Plum-Pudding Structure as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

“…Second, the carbon aerogel can act as a porous elastic matrix, which can buffer the volume expansion of NiO particles and thus suppress pulverization. Third, the interconnected carbon microspheres can form a highly conductive network, which helps to improve electronic conductivity and reduce electrode polarization [32]. Fourth, the carbon aerogel is active toward lithium, which is beneficial to increase the capacity of the composite.…”

Efficient Hybrid Particle-Field Coarse-Grained Model of Polymer Filler Interactions: Multiscale Hierarchical Structure of Carbon Black Particles in Contact with Polyethylene

“…In this way, using molecular models, a full description of the CB/PE interphase on the scale of dispersible units is achievable. Given the large increase in the development of materials informatics for the characterization and discovery of new carbon based materials, 40 high-throughput classical MD computations, based on the proposed models, can be planned to construct data sets for machine learning algorithms. Such an approach opens the possibility of a computational screening involving the optimal combination of surface chemistry modifications and size and shape of CB aggregates achieving an important tool to address the polymer/fillers interface and interphase engineering in the polymer industry.…”

“…According to this, novel methods for grafting polymers and functional groups can be easily translated to CB to design and control surface chemistry. 40 On a larger scale, recent advances in electron microscopy probing the size and shape distributions of CB aggregates have defined multiple descriptor types (size, elongation, ruggedness etc.) assessed for their repeatability and reproducibility.…”