(549b) Cellulose Nanofiber-Alginate Biotemplated Composite Co3O4 Aerogels for Pseudocapacitor Electrodes | AIChE

(549b) Cellulose Nanofiber-Alginate Biotemplated Composite Co3O4 Aerogels for Pseudocapacitor Electrodes

Authors 

Mandes, G. - Presenter, Princeton University
Verma, V., United States Military Academy
Presot, A., United States Military Academy
Tsay, C., United States Military Academy
Zhang, F., Department of Chemical and Life Science
Trackey, P., Department of Chemical and Life Science
Calabro, R. L., United States Military Academy
Maurer, J. A., Watervliet Arsenal
Bartolucci, S. F., Watervliet Arsenal
Supercapacitors are a critical technology for energy applications that require rapid charge/discharge cycles. Electrochemical pseudocapacitors use metal oxides that undergo redox reactions to generate additional charge storage. A factor that regulates charge storage is the surface area of the capacitor, which can be greatly improved per unit mass by implementing a porous structure. While porous metal oxide pseudocapacitors have been fabricated previously, the mechanical durability of the materials has not been adequately demonstrated. A porous, mechanically strong, composite material with tunable pore size, nanowire length, diameter, and material phase offers the possibility of electro-mechanical materials that enable device fabrication at multiple length scales with an overall decrease of systems mass and corresponding increase in performance metrics. Previous studies demonstrate the use of biopolymer hydrogels to biotemplate composite metal nanowire porous electrodes.[1–3] In this work, we demonstrate a Co3O4 biotemplated pseudocapacitor synthesized using a carboxymethyl cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-alginate composite hydrogel scaffold. The hydrogels are equilibrated in CaCl2 / CoCl2 salt solutions and chemically reduced with NaBH4, where the ratio of cations determines the resulting degree of ionic crosslinking and transition metal phase. After supercritical drying, aerogel pyrolysis and thermal oxidation enhance the composite material conductivity and achieve electrochemically active Co3O4. Material characterization is demonstrated with scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffractometry, thermal gravimetric analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and compressive loading. The resulting free-standing electrodes provide rapid charge and discharge and a mechanically robust material, providing potential applications as both a structural and energy storage material for a wide range of military and commercial applications demanding light-weight power and energy materials.

[1] F.J. Burpo, M.Y. Ryu, E.A. Nagelli, E. Onuomadonkeng, Gelatin-Cellulose Nanofiber Biotemplated Platinum Nanowire Porous Fibers, (2019).

[2] J.F. Burpo, N.A. Mitropoulos, A.E. Nagelli, L.J. Palmer, A.L. Morris, Y.M. Ryu, K.J. Wickiser, Cellulose Nanofiber Biotemplated Palladium Composite Aerogels, 23 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23061405.

[3] J.F. Ohmura, F.J. Burpo, C.J. Lescott, A. Ransil, Y. Yoon, W.C. Records, A.M. Belcher, Highly adjustable 3D nano-architectures and chemistries via assembled 1D biological templates, Nanoscale. 11 (2019) 1091–1102. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NR04864A.