Improved electrosorption kinetics in meso/microporous carbon composite electrode for swift salt removal

Abstract

To maximize the ion adsorption capacity with fast electrosorption, hierarchical multi-pore structures have been suggested in energy conversion and desalination technologies. However, it is hard to synthesize hierarchical structure via successive chemical process or template methods. In this article, we developed carbon composite electrode including mesoporous and microporous carbon via facile method for both high surface area and fast electrosorption. We observed that introducing mesoporous carbon to microporous carbon can improve the adsorption kinetics by enhancing wettability for water transport and simplifying ion transfer pathway. Finally, GNPAC 1:1 composite electrode showed the highest average salt adsorption rate, attributed from better adsorption kinetics and increased effective area for adsorption in fast flow rate of electrolyte compared to pristine microporous and mesoporous carbon electrode. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.