ZnCl2 activated electrospun carbon nanofiber for capacitive desalination

The ZnCl2 activated electrospun carbon nanofiber (Zn-AECNF) was fabricated by the electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber, followed by the preoxidation, carbonization and ZnCl2 post-treatment. The activated carbon nanofiber was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Desalination 2014-07, Vol.344, p.446-453
Main Authors: Liu, Jianyun, Wang, Shiping, Yang, Jianmao, Liao, Jinjin, Lu, Miao, Pan, Haojie, An, Le
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activated carbon
Adsorption
Applied sciences
Capacitive desalination
Carbon fibers
Chemical engineering
Desalination
Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Electrospinning
Electrospun carbon nanofiber
Exact sciences and technology
Nanofibers
Pollution
Specific surface
Water treatment and pollution
Zinc
Zinc chloride activation
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Summary:The ZnCl2 activated electrospun carbon nanofiber (Zn-AECNF) was fabricated by the electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber, followed by the preoxidation, carbonization and ZnCl2 post-treatment. The activated carbon nanofiber was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption. The carbon nanofiber obtained with ZnCl2 activation exhibits good flexibility, high hydrophilicity, and improved specific surface area. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrated the enhanced capacitance and improved electric conductivity due to the treatment of ZnCl2. The Zn-AECNF was used for capacitive desalination successfully. With the higher ZnCl2 concentration used for carbon fiber impregnation, the specific surface area of the obtained carbon fiber was increased, and the desalination performance was enhanced accordingly. The salt adsorption of 10.52mg/g was achieved when 60% ZnCl2 solution was used. The Zn-AECNF electrodes offer high potential for use in capacitive desalination technology. [Display omitted] •The carbon nanofiber was fabricated by simple electrospinning technique.•The wettability and surface area of Zn-AECNF were improved with ZnCl2 activation.•The capacitance and conductivity of Zn-AECNF electrode were enhanced significantly.•The Zn-AECNF based capacitor shows high desalination ability.
ISSN:0011-9164
1873-4464
DOI:10.1016/j.desal.2014.04.015