Cellulose-based nanostructured carbons for energy conversion and storage devices

Abstract : New nanostructured carbons based on cellulose derived aerogel (Carbon AeroCellulose, CAC) have been developed as a 'greener', biomass-based replacement for carbon black (CB) in materials used for energy storage and conversion. The correlation between the formulation, synthesis conditions, material morphology and electro-chemical properties is presented and discussed. Two examples in which CAC can be used, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and primary battery (Li/SOCl2), are given. We show that by tailoring the texture of these new 'green' carbons we can increase the electrochemical performance in comparison with carbon black (CB).