Facile Fabrication of Nano carbon Derivatives for Optical and Electro chemical Applications

Title

Facile Fabrication of Nano carbon Derivatives for Optical and Electro chemical Applications

Creator

Thomas, Riya

Contributor

B, Manoj.

Description

From synthesis of novel materials to their end-use applications, the prime objective of the material science community is to address the burgeoning social issues across the world. Noxious emissions from fossil fuel combustion, increased incidence of skin cancer, drug misuse, and ever-increasing demand for energy are some of the global concerns that require urgent consideration. This drives a relentless quest for a multifunctional material with broad applicability that can directly and constructively impact the quality of life, environment, and economic progress. However, materials of this kind should embrace versatile characteristics, improved competency, plausibility, and lower cost. In light of this, the current doctoral research emphasizes the development of trailblazing graphene-based materials with manifold usages derived from a naturally abundant carbonaceous fossil fuel coke to discover scientific solutions to the aforesaid trials and tribulations. Fossil fuel coal, mainly used for energy purposes, is often discouraged from industrial and domestic consumption due to its contribution to global warming. Despite the fact that coal is a non-renewable resource and a source of greenhouse gas emissions, it is one of the world's bountiful carbon resources. Therefore, it can be exploited as a potent substitute for conventional graphite, enabling the extraction of value-added graphene derivatives along with the sustainable utilization of coal. However, the purity of the precursor is a vital criterion to guarantee the quality and supply of graphene materials. In this doctoral work, coal-coke with 99% carbon content was used for the production of high-quality oxidized multilayer graphene derivatives by employing an environmentally-benign synthesis technique. The obtained graphene structure exhibited a multi-emissive fluorescence property having emissions ranging from blue to green-yellow. In addition, it also possessed remarkable electrochemical performance, good rate capability, and durability, signifying its expediency in energy storage devices. In an attempt to further enhance the scope of as-synthesized coke-based graphene derivatives, heteroatoms such as nitrogen and phosphorus were introduced into the graphene lattice via substitutional doping. It was perceived that nitrogen doping impressively amended the photophysical properties, especially in terms of quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime. Therefore, the as-synthesized nitrogen-doped multilayer graphene derivative was used as a fluorescent biomarker for imaging melanoma skin cancer cells with the purpose of early detection. Wherein co-doping of nitrogen and phosphorus endorsed excellent electrochemical characteristics and sensing performance, owing to the synergistic effect from heteroatoms and the imparted structural corrugations. Thus, by utilizing the as-synthesized nitrogen, phosphorus co- doped heteroatom derivative, oxytocin, a high-risk abused drug, was electrochemically detected in an nM range and validated the possibility of real-time surveillance over its mishandling in edibles and biological models. The coke-based graphene derivatives were further refashioned to obtain optimum textural and surface chemistry characteristics beneficial for energy storage characteristics. Accordingly, simultaneous heteroatom-doping and activation of graphene derivative were achieved. The obtained sample had a high surface area, hierarchical porous structure, increased defect densities, and co-active heteroatom enriched graphene network, suggesting its potential as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications. It was observed that the as-synthesized simultaneously heteroatom-doped and activated samples demonstrated high capacitance value, appreciable cyclic stability, and lower charge-transfer resistance. Henceforth, such enhanced supercapacitive performance points toward the cradle-to-gate transformation of fossil fuel, i.e., the conversion of sluggish black coal to green energy.

Source

Author's Submission

Date

2023-01-01

Publisher

Christ(Deemed to be University)

Subject

Physics and Electronics

Rights

Open Access

Relation

61000233

Format

PDF

Language

English

Type

PhD

Identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10603/495992