\u201cFor the first time we\u2019ve proven that you can react cellulose with ammonia and create these N-doped nanoporous carbon membranes,\u201d Ji said. \u201cIt\u2019s surprising that such a basic reaction was not reported before. Not only are there industrial applications, but this opens a whole new scientific area, studying reducing gas agents for carbon activation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to take cheap wood and turn it into a valuable high-tech product.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
These carbon membranes at the nano-scale are extraordinarily thin \u2013 a single gram of them can have a surface area of nearly 2,000 square meters. That\u2019s part of what makes them useful in supercapacitors. And the new process used to do this is a single-step reaction that\u2019s fast and inexpensive. It starts with something about as simple as a cellulose filter paper \u2013 conceptually similar to the disposable paper filter in a coffee maker.<\/p>\n
The exposure to high heat and ammonia converts the cellulose to a nanoporous carbon material needed for supercapacitors, and should enable them to be produced, in mass, more cheaply than before.<\/p>\n
A supercapacitor is a type of energy storage device, but it can be recharged much faster than a battery and has a great deal more power. They are mostly used in any type of device where rapid power storage and short, but powerful energy release is needed.<\/p>\n
Supercapacitors can be used in computers and consumer electronics, such as the flash in a digital camera. They have applications in heavy industry, and are able to power anything from a crane to a forklift. A supercapacitor can capture energy that might otherwise be wasted, such as in braking operations. And their energy storage abilities may help \u201csmooth out\u201d the power flow from alternative energy systems, such as wind energy.<\/p>\n
They can power a defibrillator, open the emergency slides on an aircraft and greatly improve the efficiency of hybrid electric automobiles.<\/p>\n
Besides supercapacitors, nanoporous carbon materials also have applications in adsorbing gas pollutants, environmental filters, water treatment and other uses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are many applications of supercapacitors around the world, but right now the field is constrained by cost,\u201d Ji said. \u201cIf we use this very fast, simple process to make these devices much less expensive, there could be huge benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Trees may soon play a major role in making high-tech energy storage devices. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6216,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[640793,1507,97217,523],"tags":[1756,100210],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ch","category-faculty-and-staff","category-materials-science","category-research","tag-healthy-economy","tag-innovation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6vHeb-8a","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3149,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/impact\/2016\/02\/osu-chemistry-professor-receives-nsf-career-award\/","url_meta":{"origin":506,"position":0},"title":"Chemistry 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