Synthesis of advanced carbon materials from waste biomass and their applications in energy and electronic devices

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Biomass precursors are being used increasingly for production of biofuels and bio-materials. In this century, there has been significant effort to develop advanced carbon materials with applications in electronic and energy devices which are being integrated into modern life. The electromagnetic and electrochemical properties are some of the major properties of interest for these devices. Carbon materials, due to their suitable electrical conductivity, adjustable porous structure, as well as excellent resistance against chemical and thermal attacks, can be potentially used for different applications in energy and electronic devices. Carbon foams and carbon supercapacitors are examples of  advanced carbon material with application in energy and electronic devices. Absorbing electromagnetic radiation by carbon foam can be used in electronic devices to protect the equipment users. Electrochemical properties of carbon supercapacitors make them effective energy storage materials. In Canada, large amounts of agricultural waste (such as canola hulls and oat hulls) and wet solid bio-wastes from the fish processing industry are available. In the proposed research, these solid wastes will be used as the  feedstocks for synthesis of high quality carbon products. Hydro-thermal processes (at sub-critical and super-critical conditions) will be used for converting these feedstocks to concentrated carbon product, namely hydrochar. Then, post-treatments, such as activation and chemical treatments, respectively, will be applied to hydrochar for the development of porous structure and appropriate chemical characteristics required for suitable performance of carbon materials in energy and electronic devices. The carbon material will be modified using chemical activation techniques to develop both microporous and mesoporous structures. Then, to improve energy storage capacity, non-carbon elements (such as N, O, and S) and surface chemistry of carbon material will be modified using chemical and thermo-chemical treatments. Characterization of these materials will be undertaken to evaluate their chemical, physical, and structural properties at each phase of experimental activities of the proposed research. The long-term goal of this research program is to establish a scientific framework for development of advanced carbon materials from biowastes with application in the modern-life fields such as energy storage and electronic devices. The short-term (5-year) goal of the proposed research is to use lignocellulosic and non-lignocellulosic types of biowaste for production of carbon foams and carbon supercapacitors. This work focuses on the optimization of  applied processes and study of  relationship between carbon materials' structural characteristics and product performance. Specifically, effects of porous structure (micropores and mesopores), surface chemistry, and the level of non-carbon elements' penetration in the carbon matrix will be studied extensively.