Enhancing capacitive deionization performance of electrospun activated carbon nanofibers by coupling with carbon nanotubes

Qiang Dong; Gang Wang; Tingting Wu; Senpei Peng; Jieshan Qiu

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2014.12.065

Enhancing capacitive deionization performance of electrospun activated carbon nanofibers by coupling with carbon nanotubes

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2015 May 15:446:373-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2014.12.065. Epub 2014 Dec 26.

Authors

Qiang Dong¹, Gang Wang², Tingting Wu¹, Senpei Peng¹, Jieshan Qiu³

Affiliations

¹ Carbon Research Laboratory, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, State Key Lab of Fine Chemical, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
² Carbon Research Laboratory, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, State Key Lab of Fine Chemical, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
³ Carbon Research Laboratory, Liaoning Key Lab for Energy Materials and Chemical Engineering, State Key Lab of Fine Chemical, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. Electronic address: jqiu@dlut.edu.cn.

PMID: 25595622
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2014.12.065

Abstract

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an alternative, effective and environmentally friendly technology for desalination of brackish water. The performance of the CDI device is highly determined by the electrode materials. In this paper, a composite of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in activated carbon nanofiber (ACF) was prepared by a direct co-electrospinning way and subsequent CO2 activation. The introduction of CNTs can greatly improve the conductivity while the CO2-mediated activation can render the final product with high porosity. As such, the hybrid structure can provide an excellent storage space and pathways for ion adsorption and conduction. When evaluated as electrode materials for CDI, the as-prepared CNT/ACF composites with higher electrical conductivity and mesopore ratios exhibited higher electrosorption capacity and good regeneration performance in comparison with the pure ACF.

Keywords: CNTs; Capacitive deionization; Carbon nanofibers; Electrospinning.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Electric Conductivity*
Electrodes*
Electroplating / methods*
Nanofibers / chemistry*
Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
Sodium Chloride / isolation & purification*
Water Purification / instrumentation*
Water Purification / methods

Substances

Nanotubes, Carbon
Sodium Chloride