Activating agents control the morphology of activated carbon materials from biomass

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Year : 2025 | Volume :12 | Issue : 01 | Page : 27-38
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Viswanathan Balasubramanian,

  1. Emeritus professor, National Centre for Catalysis Research, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, India

Abstract

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The stems of the plant Calotropis gigantea (Cg) were were used as a feedstock for the activated carbon material. Carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) and oxalate (Na 2 C 2 O 4 ) were used as chemical activating agents. The morphological features of the activated carbon materials were characterized using FEG-SEM. The morphology of the activated carbon materials is found to depend on the type of activating agent used. Peculiar morphological features were observed in the activated carbon materials produced using the stems of Calotropis gigantea (Cg), as the sustainable feedstock, with two activating agents, namely carbonate and oxalate. Carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) activation resulted in graphene like, single layer activated carbon material of nanometer thickness, with uniform and well aligned spherical pores. In sharp contrast, with the same carbon feedstock, oxalate (Na 2 C 2 O 4 ) activation yielded activated carbon material of tubular (bundles of fused micro tubes) morphology. The sharp and striking contrast in the porous architecture at the nanoscale is attributed to the difference in the mechanism of activation with the nature and type of the activating agents, inorganic (carbonate) and organic (oxalate) activating agents. The morphological aspects of the activated (either by carbonate or oxalate) carbon materials derived from biomass (Cg) were compared with commercial activated carbon materials (Black Pearl 2000, Vulcan XC 72 R and CDX 975) derived from biomass. Unlike, the fine tenability and control of morphology attained with the activated carbon material from biomass, the surface morphology of commercial activated carbon materials comprised of nanospherical particles. Thus the tailorability and tunability of surface morphology of activated carbon materials by the judicious choice of the activating agents is exemplified

Keywords: Calotropis gigantia; biomass; Activated carbon materials; activating agents; carbonates; oxalates; structure; crystallography; lattice parameters.

[This article belongs to Journal of Catalyst & Catalysis (jocc)]

How to cite this article:
Viswanathan Balasubramanian. Activating agents control the morphology of activated carbon materials from biomass. Journal of Catalyst & Catalysis. 2025; 12(01):27-38.
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Viswanathan Balasubramanian. Activating agents control the morphology of activated carbon materials from biomass. Journal of Catalyst & Catalysis. 2025; 12(01):27-38. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jocc/article=2025/view=0

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Regular Issue Subscription Review Article
Volume 12
Issue 01
Received 30/12/2024
Accepted 07/01/2025
Published 10/01/2025
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