Ionic liquid (IL) functionalized biochar in supercapacitor applications and unique characterization methods

Cheema, Sara (2023) Ionic liquid (IL) functionalized biochar in supercapacitor applications and unique characterization methods. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Biochar is a carbon-based material derived from biomass with unique physical and functional properties that are useful in various applications such as electrical storage devices, adsorbents, and catalysis. Biochar is used in electrochemical devices due to its porosity, surface area, and functionality including N, P, or S heteroatoms covalently bound on the surface. Biochar as an electrode material improves power density and charge-discharge rates in supercapacitors. We have shown that a simple oxidation step on hardwood biochar allows for facile functionalization using a modified Hummer method; then functionalized with 3-chloropropyltrimethylsiloxane and converted trioctylphosphonium salt biochar using SN2 chemistry with trioctylphosphine. These functionalized biochars are characterized using FT-IR; 1H, 13C{1H}, 19F{1H}, 31P{1H} CPMAS solid-state NMR spectroscopy, surface contact measurements and electrochemical characterization, CV and GCD. McKenna et al. of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) and Florida State University reported the complex mixtures of highly heterogeneous biochar using APPI-21T-FT-ICR and ESI-21T-FT-ICR MS to yield remarkable speciation of the compounds in biochar using solvent extrography. In this thesis, an investigation into the identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in kelp, crab, and hardwood biochar will be reported using the specialized solvent method to yield a necessary processing step before the application of biochar to remove select PAHs.

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