Carbon Trends最新文献

{"title":"Effect of nanostructured graphene on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of Cassava starch (Manihot esculenta) coated cellulose paperboards","authors":"Alessandra R. Rinaldi ,&nbsp;Laura D.C. Castañeda ,&nbsp;Silvia Faria da Rocha ,&nbsp;Eliana B. Souto ,&nbsp;Viktor O.C. Concha ,&nbsp;Classius Ferreira da Silva ,&nbsp;Cristiana M.P. Yoshida","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graphene is derived from graphite and consists of pure carbon. It can be used to produce nanostructured compounds that are incorporated in packaging materials to improve physicochemical and mechanical properties. The application of coatings made from natural polymers, such as starch, has been studied as an alternative to partially replace synthetic polymers in paper-based multilayer materials commonly used in packaging, meeting the demands of consumers with increasing environmental concerns. In this work, we describe the first-time use of a modified cassava (<em>Manihot esculenta</em>) starch film (4 %, m/V) coating, in which graphene has been incorporated at two different concentrations (0.2 % versus 0.4 % m/V), and characterized for its suitability for the coating of paperboard. The presence of graphene in the coating significantly influenced the physicochemical properties of the coating. The Cobb test indicated greater water retention in the coatings containing graphene, but the moisture barrier increased by 87.8 % with the one composed of 0.4 % graphene. In paperboards coated with starch containing 0.4 % graphene, the air permeance decreased by 27 % and fat barrier properties increased, compared to uncoated paperboard. The Taber stiffness was also improved with the presence of graphene in the coatings, indicating that the paperboards became more rigid. The tear strength and tensile strength of the coated paperboards also improved, while elongation and bursting remained unchanged. With the outcomes of this work, we confirm that starch coating containing graphene offers a promising alternative to polymeric lamination on cellulosic matrices, promoting sustainability in packaging and improving the final properties of the paperboard.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100599"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145738102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and characterization of carbon quantum dots in PM1 emitted in smoke from domestic wood combustion","authors":"C. Clairotte ,&nbsp;C. Akl ,&nbsp;V. Malesys ,&nbsp;L. Josien ,&nbsp;L. Vidal ,&nbsp;A. Zaarour ,&nbsp;G. Trouvé ,&nbsp;V. Tschamber ,&nbsp;L. Simon","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2026.100607","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2026.100607","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present a methodology for the identification and characterization of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) emitted during wood combustion in a domestic heating appliance. CQDs were isolated in the nanometric fraction of particulate matter (PM₀.₁, aerodynamic diameter &lt; 0.1 μm) of the fume using an Electrical Low-Pressure Impactor (ELPI) during both transient log-burning phases and steady-state pellet combustion. Their presence was confirmed by complementary techniques, including SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The PM₀.₁ fraction contains nanocrystalline graphene/graphite domains with an amorphization degree of 13–17%, arising from sp³-type defects within an sp² matrix and contributions from amorphous carbon, as confirmed by C1s XPS spectra. We show that quantitative Raman analysis revealed that a five-component deconvolution of the D and G bands, together with the observation of sloping baselines (indicating an underlying photoluminescence background), provides robust criteria for identifying CQDs. TEM images further demonstrate that CQDs adopt nano-onion morphologies with diameters near the impactor cut-off, consisting of an amorphous core encased in concentric graphitic shells. The measured interplanar spacing of 3.84 Å closely matches values reported for synthetic nano-onions derived from biomass precursors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100607"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optical anisotropy of 6-A graphene nanoribbons synthesized inside aligned nanotubes","authors":"Natalia R. Arutyunyan ,&nbsp;Alexander A. Tonkikh ,&nbsp;Pavel V. Fedotov ,&nbsp;Dmitry V. Rybkovskiy ,&nbsp;Ekaterina A. Obraztsova ,&nbsp;Wanyu Dai ,&nbsp;Xiang Rong ,&nbsp;Shigeo Maruyama ,&nbsp;Elena D. Obraztsova","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>6- atom-wide armchair graphene nanoribbons (6-AGNRs) are synthesized through two-step process inside a matrix of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) pre-aligned by controlled vacuum filtration method. The typical Raman modes of nanoribbons as radial breathing-like mode at 453 cm^-1, edge C<img>H mode at 1245 cm^-1 and middle-range mode at 1270 cm^-1 appear in the Raman spectra alongside with the modes of carbon nanotubes. Polarized Raman spectra reveal the strong anisotropy of the signal depending on the orientation of the sample, as the alignment of nanoribbons is provided by the alignment of the nanotube host matrix. This result is in agreement with polarized Raman density functional theory (DFT) calculations carried out for the main vibrational modes of the 6-AGNR. The proposed method ensures the alignment of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) on a macroscale and preserves the anisotropy of their optical properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100596"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of composition and carbon types on the electrical conductivity of carbon-based conductive pastes for deposition as back-electrode in perovskite solar cells","authors":"Edwin Akongnwi Nforna ,&nbsp;Henry Alombah Njimboh ,&nbsp;Divine Mbom Yufanyi ,&nbsp;Cornelius Tsamo ,&nbsp;Romanus Njong Nyako","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon-based electrodes are promising replacements of expensive, vacuum deposited noble metals in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) because of their low cost, chemical inertness and durability. This study is aimed at determining the influence of carbon composition on the electrical conductivity of carbon electrode and application in carbon-based C-PSC. Activated carbon (AC) was synthesized from sugarcane leaves and used to prepare different carbon pastes compositions. The AC was characterized by x-ray diffraction, microstructural and elemental analyses, Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman spectroscopies, and nitrogen sorption isotherms to assess surface area and micropore volumes. Results show that the AC is mostly amorphous with small graphitic component, having oxygen surface groups and extended surface area with micropores. AC was found to serve as linking layers in AC/graphite (G) carbon pastes, giving a maximum electrical conductivity of 36.9 Ω^-1cm^-1 for a 27 % AC in AC/G mixture. The use of different carbon materials G, AC, CB (carbon black) and also a higher total carbon amount showed augmented conductivity of 47.7 Ω^-1cm^-1 for an AC:CB:G weight ratio of 0.5:0.5:3. The carbon pastes were effectively deposited as counter electrode in planar hole-transport-layer-free PSC with structure Glass/FTO/c-TiO₂/mp-TiO₂/CH₃NH₃PbI₃/C. The C-PSC exhibited an open circuit voltage of 0.9 V under simulated illumination of AM 1.5 G, 100 mW/cm² similar to reference devices using mesoporous TiO₂ as electron-transport-material. The results show that AC obtained from biomass can be utilized to prepare low cost and solvent friendly carbon pastes which can be effectively deposited as electrode in devices such as PSC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100605"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analytical models of hydrogen transport in graphite","authors":"Lorenzo Vergari","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2026.100611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2026.100611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The importance of graphite-hydrogen chemical reactions to fusion, fission, and hydrogen storage applications, combined with the rapidly evolving knowledge on the underlying mechanisms, has led to the development of multiple models to describe hydrogen transport in graphite. Significant differences exist among these models, resulting from discrepancies in the modeling assumptions, intended degree of fidelity, and conditions of applicability. This paper attempts at reconciling these apparent differences by providing a comprehensive description of the constitutive equations governing hydrogen transport in graphite at high-temperature, identifying outstanding gaps in knowledge, illustrating how these different models approach them, and proposing alternative analytical formulations grounded on experimental results from hydrogen-graphite studies. Governing equations, closing relations, and simplifying assumptions are discussed for hydrogen transport at the inter-granular and intra-granular level, accompanied by compiled experimental data and illustrated energy diagrams associated to the proposed transport mechanisms. Analytical formulations are provided to reproduce competing hypotheses on the mechanisms, supporting the development of a range of computational models that can enable resolution of outstanding knowledge gaps through comparative testing against experimental data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100611"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Importance of graphitization catalyst deposition for the structure development of nanoscale hybrid amorphous/graphitic carbon","authors":"Pierre Cautaerts ,&nbsp;Jan Gläsel ,&nbsp;Felix Herold ,&nbsp;Bastian J.M. Etzold","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graphitic and mesoporous carbon materials combine two interesting features from an engineering point of view, allowing for fast heat and mass transport. A carbon synthesis combining soft-templating with catalytic graphitization leads to mesoporous hybrid amorphous/graphitic carbons, whose subsequent selective oxidation yields mesoporous and graphitic carbons. A combination of thermal programmed oxidation, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen and water sorption evidences the qualitative and quantitative differences in their amorphous/graphitic phases. This contribution demonstrates how graphitization catalyst deposition method and pyrolysis conditions can be leveraged to influence resulting carbon microstructure and proportions of graphitic/amorphous domains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100593"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Graphene-based materials for water and wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review of advances in synthesis, emerging applications, and future directions","authors":"Ahmed M.E. Khalil ,&nbsp;Tanveer A. Tabish ,&nbsp;Bhavya Joshi ,&nbsp;Mohamed Egiza ,&nbsp;Fayyaz A. Memon ,&nbsp;Shaowei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2026.100609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2026.100609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graphene-based materials (GBMs) have emerged as promising candidates for water and wastewater treatment owing to their large surface area, high electron mobility, tunable surface chemistry, and exceptional mechanical strength. This review provides a comprehensive examination of key advances in the synthesis, performance optimisation, environmental implications, and future integration strategies of GBMs for pollutant removal. Emphasis is placed on the removal of emerging contaminants including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, heavy metals, dyes, and pathogenic microorganisms using material descriptors together with kinetic and thermodynamic analyses. Enhanced adsorption capacities, in some cases exceeding 30% over conventional materials, are achieved via functionalisation and the development of three-dimensional graphene architectures, graphene oxide nanoribbons, and activated graphene. Green synthesis approaches using plant- and fruit-based reducing agents are highlighted as environmentally benign alternatives to conventional chemical methods, reducing toxic by-products and energy demand. Despite these advances, challenges remain regarding scalable, cost-effective, and reproducible synthesis of graphene with controlled porosity and surface functionality, alongside assessment of long-term environmental fate, ecotoxicity, and regeneration potential. The review further explores integration strategies with existing treatment technologies such as membrane filtration, electrochemical processes, and bioreactors to improve treatment efficiency and operational sustainability. Future research directions are proposed to support the transition from laboratory-scale innovation to full-scale deployment, emphasising interdisciplinary collaboration for the development of safe, efficient, and economically viable water purification systems. Overall, this review provides an up-to-date, integrated synthesis across adsorption, catalytic oxidation and membrane separations, linking processing routes to material descriptors and performance metrics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100609"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon dots: Multidimensional analysis of antibacterial performance","authors":"Yunxiao Zhu,&nbsp;Qiaowen Lei,&nbsp;Xinru Nan,&nbsp;Li Fu,&nbsp;Qitong Huang,&nbsp;Hanqiang Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaofeng Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100606","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100606","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating crisis of antimicrobial resistance threatens global health, with projections indicating millions of deaths annually by 2050 without effective countermeasures. This urgent scenario demands innovative antibacterial approaches. Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as a promising alternative due to their potent antimicrobial properties and excellent biocompatibility. They achieve over 95 % inhibition against common pathogens such as <em>Escherichia coli</em> and S. aureus even at concentrations as low as 8 μg/mL. This review systematically examines recent advances in CD-based antibacterial strategies, focusing on their multifaceted mechanisms including membrane disruption, reactive oxygen species generation, and intracellular biomolecule interference. Key structural characteristics such as particle size, surface charge, and functionalization significantly modulate their antibacterial efficacy. Current applications span medical dressings, food packaging, and environmental remediation, demonstrating remarkable versatility. However, further optimization of structural properties and functional performance remains essential. Continued research is expected to establish CDs as crucial components in global antimicrobial strategies, contributing substantially to public health security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100606"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Complete hydrolysis of organosulfates yields to complete exfoliation of graphite oxide","authors":"Adelia López-Pérez ,&nbsp;Juana M. Pérez ,&nbsp;Ignacio Fernández ,&nbsp;Ignacio Martín-Gullón ,&nbsp;Iluminada Rodríguez-Pastor","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graphene oxide (GO) is a highly versatile material with broad applications, but its acidic nature and the presence of sulfur-containing groups poses significant challenges for biomedical and environmental uses. These groups, mainly in the form of organosulfates, contribute to excessive acidity, which affects the stability of GO and complicates large-scale production due to the need for multiple washing steps. This study is focused on developing an efficient method to fully remove organosulfates. By combining basic and organic acid treatments, complete hydrolysis of sulfate groups was achieved, leading to a significant reduction in acidity and, contrary to expectations, facilitating the exfoliation of GO without requiring additional sonication. This might be due to some organosulfates bound to carbons of different graphite layers. The optimized process resulted in monolayer-rich GO with enhanced dispersion stability, making it more suitable for a wider range of applications. These findings offer a scalable and effective approach to improving the chemical purity and structural properties of GO, expanding its potential in advanced technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100600"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of the synthesis of carbon dots from citric acid and urea: evidence of the formation of organic fluorophores and study of their impact in catalysis","authors":"Ari Gurel,&nbsp;Assya Cheutin,&nbsp;Yasmine Bouaouni,&nbsp;Stéphanie Lau,&nbsp;Sébastien Bellynck,&nbsp;Sophie Nowak,&nbsp;Delphine Schaming","doi":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cartre.2025.100588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While carbon dots (CDs) have attracted increasing attention these last years as a new family of carbon materials with amazing optical properties and applications in ever-wider fields, many CDs described in the literature come from bottom-up syntheses using organic molecules as precursors. In particular, a very simple and rapid method largely employed consists in the microwaves treatment of an aqueous solution of citric acid and urea using microwaves. This method leads to CDs with a very high fluorescence quantum yield which are generally used for several applications such as catalysis without thorough purifications. In these works, we highlight the formation of a large quantity of molecular organic fluorophores during the synthesis protocol of these CDs. After a purification process based on chromatographic separation and Soxhlet extraction, we isolated purer CDs from the mixture of organic fluorophores. Then, we investigated the catalytic properties of these CDs and these organic fluorophores when associated with ZnO or TiO2 photocatalysts. While CDs are generally described as excellent co-catalysts for protons photoreduction, we evidenced the role of these organic fluorophores in photocatalysis performances generally assigned to CDs while the later used pure seem to deactivate the catalytic properties of semiconductors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52629,"journal":{"name":"Carbon Trends","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100588"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145625342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}