Decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal synthesis of carbon sub-micron spheres from cellulose

Shijie Yu, Xinyue Dong, Peng Zhao, Zhicheng Luo, Zhuohua Sun, Xiaoxiao Yang, Qinghai Li, Lei Wang (), Yanguo Zhang () and Hui Zhou ()
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Shijie Yu: Tsinghua University
Xinyue Dong: Westlake University
Peng Zhao: Tsinghua University
Zhicheng Luo: Eindhoven University of Technology, Het Kranenveld 14, Helix, STW 3.48
Zhuohua Sun: Beijing Forestry University
Xiaoxiao Yang: Tsinghua University
Qinghai Li: Tsinghua University
Lei Wang: Westlake University
Yanguo Zhang: Tsinghua University
Hui Zhou: Tsinghua University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The temperature and pressure of the hydrothermal process occurring in a batch reactor are typically coupled. Herein, we develop a decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal system that can heat the cellulose at a constant pressure, thus lowering the degradation temperature of cellulose significantly and enabling the fast production of carbon sub-micron spheres. Carbon sub-micron spheres can be produced without any isothermal time, much faster compared to the conventional hydrothermal process. High-pressure water can help to cleave the hydrogen bonds in cellulose and facilitate dehydration reactions, thus promoting cellulose carbonization at low temperatures. A life cycle assessment based on a conceptual biorefinery design reveals that this technology leads to a substantial reduction in carbon emissions when hydrochar replacing fuel or used for soil amendment. Overall, the decoupled temperature and pressure hydrothermal treatment in this study provides a promising method to produce sustainable carbon materials from cellulose with a carbon-negative effect.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31352-x

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