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Chemistry and Industry of Forest Products ›› 2021, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6): 27-35.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-2417.2021.06.004

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Studies on Lignin-based Carbon Materials as Electrocatalysts of Fuel Cells Cathode Ⅳ: Preparation and Electrocatalytic Properties for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Kainan JIN1, Songlin ZUO1,*(), Youcai GUI1, Baoshou SHEN2,3,*(), Shanshan WANG1, Nannan CUI1   

  1. 1. College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
    2. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Xi'an 710127, China
    3. College of Urban and Environmental Sciences/Institute of Earth Surface System and Hazards, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
  • Received:2021-07-14 Online:2021-12-28 Published:2021-12-31
  • Contact: Songlin ZUO,Baoshou SHEN E-mail:zslnl@njfu.edu.cn;bsshen@nwu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Lignin-based activated carbons were prepared by the consecutive procedure of lignin modification, carbonization and ammonia activation using enzymatic hydrolysis lignin as starting material, in terms of our serial investigations that have been conducted on pyrolysis of starting materials, surface chemistry and microstructure of lignin-derived chars. Nitrogen adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electronic chemistry methods were employed to characterize the pore structure and surface chemistry of lignin-based activated carbons and to evaluate the catalytic performance as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR). The results showed that lignin-based activated carbons with good performance of electronically catalyzing ORR could be obtained through nitrogen-containing chemicals modification of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin followed by carbonization and ammonia activation. By combing the method of lignin modification with nitrogen-containing substances and ammonia activation, the pore structure and the concentration of nitrogen-containing groups including pyridine-like, pyrrole-like and quaternary-like species could be tuned and, as a result, benefit to regulate the electrocatalytic properties of lignin-based activated carbons. Using melamine-modified enzymatic hydrolysis lignin as starting material produced the lignin-based activated carbons with a comparable electrocatalytic performance with commercially available 20% Pt/C catalyst, which possess a surface areas of more than 1 300 m2/g, developed microporosity and mesoporisty, a nitrogen content of more than 6% and a high concentration of quaternary-like groups.

Key words: lignin, activated carbon, electrocatalysis, oxygen reduction reaction, melamine

CLC Number: