Zinc oxide-doped carbon aerogel derived from bagasse cellulose/sodium alginate/zinc nitrate composite for dye adsorption, storage energy and electrochemical sensing

BACKGROUNDFollowing the trend of green and sustainable development, multi-application materials utilizing biomass waste have been developed, leading that trend is carbon aerogel (CA). In this study, zinc oxide-doped CA was synthesized from bagasse cellulose (Zn-BCA) through simple processes: Cross-linking to form a sol-gel system, freeze-drying, and pyrolysis. To synthesize suitable materials, precursor and crosslinking ratios, the content of Zn2+, and pyrolysis temperature in N-2 were investigated. The characteristics of ZnO were investigated through modern methods: Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The dye adsorption capacity of Zn-BCA was evaluated through the UV-Vis method. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties are shown through cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results, and glucose sensing results were obtained through linear sweep voltammetry.RESULTSZn-BCA shows potential for multiple applications with crystal violet pigment adsorption capacity up to 39 mg/g, specific capacitance reaching 164 F/g, and glucose sensing capabilities.CONCLUSIONThus, Zn-BCA shows wide applicability in adsorbents and electrode materials, in addition to using bagasse biomass as green precursor to synthesize materials. (c) 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).