Facile Green Synthesis of BCN Nanosheets as High-Performance Electrode Material for Electrochemical Energy Storage

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 22; no. 21; pp. 7134 - 7140
• Main Authors: Karbhal, Indrapal, Devarapalli, Rami Reddy, Debgupta, Joyashish, Pillai, Vijayamohanan K., Ajayan, Pulickel M., Shelke, Manjusha V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 17.05.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Boric acids; Boron; Boron Compounds - chemistry; Boron nitride; Carbon nitride; Chemistry; Current density; doping; Electric Capacitance; Electrochemical Techniques - instrumentation; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Energy storage; Glucose; Green Chemistry Technology - economics; Green Chemistry Technology - methods; nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Nanostructures - chemistry; Nanostructures - ultrastructure; nitrides; Surface Properties; Urea; Ureas; doping; nanoparticles; nitrides; electrochemistry; boron
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.201505225

Two‐dimensional hexagonal boron carbon nitride (BCN) nanosheets (NSs) were synthesized by new approach in which a mixture of glucose and an adduct of boric acid (H3BO3) and urea (NH2CONH2) is heated at 900 °C. The method is green, scalable and gives a high yield of BCN NSs with average size of about 1 μm and thickness of about 13 nm. Structural characterization of the as‐synthesized material was carried out by several techniques, and its energy‐storage properties were evaluated electrochemically. The material showed excellent capacitive behaviour with a specific capacitance as high as 244 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. The material retains up to 96 % of its initial capacity after 3000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g−1. Nanosheet electrodes: Boron carbon nitride (BCN) nanosheets were synthesized by heating a mixture of glucose and an adduct of boric acid and urea at 900 °C (see figure). The method is green, scalable and gives a high yield of BCN nanosheets. The energy‐storage properties of the as‐synthesized material were evaluated electrochemically with a view to applications in electrochemical energy storage.