Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Using Biomass-Activated Carbon Nanosheets Derived from Eucalyptus Leaves

Sankar Sekar; Atsaya Shanmugam; Gokilapriya Senthilkumar; Kiruthiga Thangasami; Hyun Jung; Youngmin Lee; Sejoon Lee

doi:10.3390/ma18030670

Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Using Biomass-Activated Carbon Nanosheets Derived from Eucalyptus Leaves

Sankar Sekar, Atsaya Shanmugam, Gokilapriya Senthilkumar, Kiruthiga Thangasami, Hyun Jung, Youngmin Lee, Sejoon Lee

Dongguk University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Carbonaceous-based metal-free catalysts are promising aspirants for effective electrocatalytic hydrogen generation. Herein, we synthesized mesoporous-activated carbon nanosheets (ELC) from biomass eucalyptus leaves through KOH activation. The microstructure, structural, and textural characteristics of the prepared materials were characterized by FE-SEM, Raman, XRD, and BET measurements. The high temperature (700 °C) KOH-activated ELC nanosheets exhibited an interconnected nanosheet morphology with a large specific surface area (1436 m²/g) and high mesoporosity. The ELC-700 catalyst exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic HER performance with a low overpotential (39 mV at 10 mA/cm²), excellent durability, and a Trivial Tafel slope (36 mV/dec) in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. These findings indicate a new approach for developing excellent biomass-derived electrocatalysts for substantially efficient green hydrogen production.

Original language	English
Article number	670
Journal	Materials
Volume	18
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18030670
State	Published - Feb 2025

Keywords

activated carbon
biomass
electrocatalysts
eucalyptus leaves
hydrogen evaluation reaction

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/ma18030670

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title = "Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Using Biomass-Activated Carbon Nanosheets Derived from Eucalyptus Leaves",

abstract = "Carbonaceous-based metal-free catalysts are promising aspirants for effective electrocatalytic hydrogen generation. Herein, we synthesized mesoporous-activated carbon nanosheets (ELC) from biomass eucalyptus leaves through KOH activation. The microstructure, structural, and textural characteristics of the prepared materials were characterized by FE-SEM, Raman, XRD, and BET measurements. The high temperature (700 °C) KOH-activated ELC nanosheets exhibited an interconnected nanosheet morphology with a large specific surface area (1436 m2/g) and high mesoporosity. The ELC-700 catalyst exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic HER performance with a low overpotential (39 mV at 10 mA/cm2), excellent durability, and a Trivial Tafel slope (36 mV/dec) in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. These findings indicate a new approach for developing excellent biomass-derived electrocatalysts for substantially efficient green hydrogen production.",

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AU - Sekar, Sankar

AU - Shanmugam, Atsaya

AU - Senthilkumar, Gokilapriya

AU - Thangasami, Kiruthiga

AU - Jung, Hyun

AU - Lee, Youngmin

AU - Lee, Sejoon

PY - 2025/2

Y1 - 2025/2

N2 - Carbonaceous-based metal-free catalysts are promising aspirants for effective electrocatalytic hydrogen generation. Herein, we synthesized mesoporous-activated carbon nanosheets (ELC) from biomass eucalyptus leaves through KOH activation. The microstructure, structural, and textural characteristics of the prepared materials were characterized by FE-SEM, Raman, XRD, and BET measurements. The high temperature (700 °C) KOH-activated ELC nanosheets exhibited an interconnected nanosheet morphology with a large specific surface area (1436 m2/g) and high mesoporosity. The ELC-700 catalyst exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic HER performance with a low overpotential (39 mV at 10 mA/cm2), excellent durability, and a Trivial Tafel slope (36 mV/dec) in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. These findings indicate a new approach for developing excellent biomass-derived electrocatalysts for substantially efficient green hydrogen production.

AB - Carbonaceous-based metal-free catalysts are promising aspirants for effective electrocatalytic hydrogen generation. Herein, we synthesized mesoporous-activated carbon nanosheets (ELC) from biomass eucalyptus leaves through KOH activation. The microstructure, structural, and textural characteristics of the prepared materials were characterized by FE-SEM, Raman, XRD, and BET measurements. The high temperature (700 °C) KOH-activated ELC nanosheets exhibited an interconnected nanosheet morphology with a large specific surface area (1436 m2/g) and high mesoporosity. The ELC-700 catalyst exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic HER performance with a low overpotential (39 mV at 10 mA/cm2), excellent durability, and a Trivial Tafel slope (36 mV/dec) in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. These findings indicate a new approach for developing excellent biomass-derived electrocatalysts for substantially efficient green hydrogen production.

KW - activated carbon

KW - biomass

KW - electrocatalysts

KW - eucalyptus leaves

KW - hydrogen evaluation reaction

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U2 - 10.3390/ma18030670

DO - 10.3390/ma18030670

M3 - Article

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SN - 1996-1944

VL - 18

JO - Materials

JF - Materials

IS - 3

M1 - 670

ER -

Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Using Biomass-Activated Carbon Nanosheets Derived from Eucalyptus Leaves

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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