10.1021/sc500161b.s001
Yuan-Qing Li
Yuan-Qing
Li
Yarjan
Abdul Samad
Yarjan
Abdul
Samad
Kyriaki Polychronopoulou
Kyriaki
Polychronopoulou
Saeed M. Alhassan
Saeed M.
Alhassan
Kin Liao
Kin
Liao
Carbon Aerogel from Winter Melon for Highly Efficient
and Recyclable Oils and Organic Solvents Absorption
American Chemical Society
2014
biomas
absorption capacity
solvent
recovery
density
hydrophobicity
water contact angle
winter melon carbon aerogel
material
Organic Solvents AbsorptionDirect conversion
WCA
2014-06-02 00:00:00
Media
https://acs.figshare.com/articles/media/Carbon_Aerogel_from_Winter_Melon_for_Highly_Efficient_and_Recyclable_Oils_and_Organic_Solvents_Absorption/2287549
Direct
conversion of biomass to carbon aerogel provides a promising
approach to developing absorbent materials for spilled oils and organic
solvents recovery. In this work, three-dimensional carbon aerogels
were fabricated via a hydrothermal and post-pyrolysis process using
winter melon as the only raw materials. The winter melon carbon aerogel
(WCA) prepared shows a low density of 0.048 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, excellent
hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 135°, and selective
absorption for organic solvents and oils. The absorption capacity
of WCA for organic solvents and oils can be 16–50 times its
own weight. Moreover, distillation can be employed to recover WCA
and harvest the pollutants. Over five absorption–harvesting
cycles, the absorption capacity of WCA to organic solvents and low
boiling point oils can recover almost 100% of its starting capacity.
With a combination of low-cost biomass as raw materials, green preparation
process, low density, and excellent hydrophobicity, WCA as an absorber
has great potential in application of spilled oil recovery and environmental
protection.