• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2011

In this work, mesoporous carbons (CMK-3) were prepared by a conventional templating method using mesoporous silica (SBA-15) for using catalyst supports in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The CMK-3 were chemically activated to obtain high surface area and small pore diameter with different potassium hydroxide (KOH) amounts, i.e., 0, 1, 3, and 4 g as an activating agent. And then Pt-Ru was deposited onto activated CMK-3 (K-CMK-3) by a chemical reduction method. The characteristics of Pt-Ru catalysts deposited onto K-CMK-3 were determined by surface area and pore size analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The electrochemical properties of Pt-Ru/K-CMK-3 catalysts were also analyzed by cyclic voltammetry (CV). From the results, the K3g-CMK-3 carbon supports activated with 3 g KOH showed the highest specific surface areas. In addition, the K3g-CMK-3 led to uniform dispersion of Pt-Ru onto K-CMK-3, resulted in the enhancement of elelctro-catalystic activity of Pt-Ru catalysts.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.140-147
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• 2024

In order to increase the utilization of biomass, an electrochemical performance was considered after manufacturing a carbon anode material (SV-C) for a Setaria viridis-based lithium ion secondary battery through a heat treatment process. When the heat treatment temperature of the Setaria viridis is as low as 750 ℃, the capacitance (1003.3 mAh/g, at 0.1 C) is high due to the negative (-) charge of oxygen present on the surface attracting lithium, along with the low crystallinity and high specific surface area (126 m²/g), but the capacity retention rate is believed to be as low as 61.0% (at 500 cycles and 1 C). In addition, it was confirmed that when the heat treatment temperature increased to 1150 ℃, the carbon layer was condensed to be excellent in arrangement, and the structural defects were reduced, resulting in a significant reduction in the specific surface area (32 m²/g) of the pores. Furthermore, when the surface defects of the anode material are reduced and the crystallinity is increased, the capacity retention rate is as high as 89.7% (at 500 cycles and 1 C), but the degree of defects is small, the active point is reduced, and the specific capacity is considered to be very low at 471.7 mAh/g. In the scope of this study, it was found that in the case of the Setaria viridis-based carbon anode material manufactured according to the heat treatment temperature, the surface oxygen content and crystallinity have higher reliability on the electrochemical properties of the anode material than the specific surface area.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.599-602
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• 2007

23 F/cc grade new type of high density activated carbon from crystalline green cokes type of mesocarbon microbeads has been synthesized by chemical and electrochemical activation. In order for these materials to have high performance, electrochemical behavior during electrochemical activation has been investigated by sequential voltage applying schemes. These results showed that the effective voltage for electrochemical activation was about 2.7~3.2 V irrelevant to applying voltage due to the decrease of surface activation of activated carbon with high specific surface area.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.201-207
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• 2013

In this study, the surface of a phenol based activated carbon (AC) used as an electrode in an electric double layer capacitor was modified via boric acid treatment for the capacitance investigation. The effect of boric acid treatment on electrochemical performance was also investigated. The AC surface functional groups ratio of quinone-like (O=C) which is electrochemical active functional groups was increased after the boric acid treatment. And, boric acid treated AC showed an increase in the specific surface area, total pore volume, and micropore volume. In case of optimum boric acid treated AC, its specific capacitance increased by 20% in comparison to that of untreated AC. These results demonstrate that a boric acid treated carbon surface-based electric double layer capacitor electrode effectively enhances specific capacitance.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.540-546
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• 2010

In order to confirm the effect of Nafion ionomer content in catalyst layer on the performance of PEMFC, we have fabricated several electrodes which were prepared by varying the quantity of Nafion ionomer from 24 wt.% to 39 wt.% in catalyst layer. The effect of Nafion ionomer of each electrode was evaluated with cyclic voltammetry measurement. In addition, cell performance was obtained through single cell test using hydrogen and air. The Pt utilization and performance of single cell were changed by addition of Nafion ionomer to the electrode. Single cell fabricated with 33 wt.% of Nafion ionomer in catalyst layer showed the maximum Pt utilization and performance.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.432-437
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• 2005

An electric swing adsorption (ESA) process for recovering highly pure $CO_2$ from the mixed gases was tested. In this study, activated carbon fibers were used as an adsorbent. The activated carbon fibers showed fast adsorption rate and the high adsorption capacity for $CO_2$ adsorption under the condition of the ambient pressure. Activated carbon fiber with higher specific surface area was suitable to repeated adsorption-desorption cycle process, showing consistent breakthrough curve. Especially, the regeneration method by vacuum combined with ESA improved the performance of desorption process by an additional 17％ regeneration efficiency compared to a vacuum only method, and showed the high regeneration efficiency at comparatively low 7-8 Wh energy.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.405-410
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• 2011

High-performance of an electric double layer capacitance (EDLC) electrode was prepared by the amino-fluorination of activated carbon by using $NF_3$ gas. The pore structure and surface chemistry were investigated based on the specific capacitance of EDLC. The amino-fluorination of activated carbon introduced functional groups of nitrogen and fluorine which are beneficial for the specific capacitance of EDLC without the change of pore structures. The E-NF100AC electrode, which has nitrogen and fluorine functional groups less than 1 at%, showed the highly improved specific capacitance of 528 (${\pm}9$) F/g at 2 mV/s showing 122% improved value when comparing with that of non-functionalized E-RAC electrodes. Whereas, the E-NF200AC electrode, which has nitrogen and fluorine functional groups over 1 at%, showed the decreased specific capacitance because of perfluorinated introduction. So, it is concluded that the proper contents of nitrogen and fluorine groups improved the specific capacitance of EDLC.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.185-190
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• 2008

In order to increase the surface area of electrodes for electrosorption, porous carbon electrodes were fabricated by a wet phase inversion method. A carbon slurry consisting of a mixture of activated carbon powder (ACP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent was cast directly on a graphite sheet. The cast film was then immersed in pure water for phase inversion. The physical and electrochemical properties of the electrodes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosimetry, and cyclic voltammetry. The SEM images verified that the pores of various sizes were formed uniformly on the electrode surface. The average pore sizes determined for the electrodes fabricated with various NMP contents ranged from 64.2 to 82.4 nm and the size increased as the NMP content increased. All of the voltammograms showed a typical behavior of charging and discharging characteristic at the electric double layer. The electrical capacitance ranged from 3.88 to $5.87F/cm^2$ depending on the NMP contents, and the electrical capacitance increased as the solvent content decreased. The experimental results showed that the solvent content is an important variable controlling pore size and ultimately the capacitance of the electrode.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2012

Porous carbon nanofibers were prepared as a gas sensor electrode to study the $CO_2$ sensing property based on effects of porosity and introduced amine functional groups. Electrospun fibers were obtained by using electrospinning method with polyacrylonitrile precursor and they were treated by the thermal treatment and chemical activation. Amine functional groups were introduced by the liquid state treatment using diethylenetriamine. The specific surface area increased up to $2000m^2/g$ by the chemical activation. The Introduced amine functional group was identified using FT-IR spectroscopy. $CO_2$ gas sensing property was improved as four folds via introduced amine functional groups on the activated carbon nanofiber. In conclusion, the gas sensing property was improved based on the developed porosity by the chemical activation and the chemical attraction of $CO_2$ gas by introduced functional groups.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.854-862
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• 2016

As the demand for a clean energy to replace fossil fuel being depleted increases, hydrogen energy is considered as a promising candidate for future energy source. Water electrolysis which produces hydrogen has high energy efficiency and stability but still has a large overpotential for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, $Co_3O_4$ catalysts with different morphology were prepared by spray pyrolysis from solutions which contain Co precursor and various organic additives (urea, sucrose, and citric acid), followed by post heat treatment. For the catalysts synthesized, X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed to identify their crystal structure. Morphology and surface shape of the catalysts were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Surface area and pore volume were examined by nitrogen adsortpion & desorption tests and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was conducted to confirm nitrogen doping. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was carried out to investigate OER activity of $Co_3O_4$ catalysts. As a result, bare-$Co_3O_4$ which has high surface area and small particle size determined by spray pyrolysis showed high activity toward OER.