Regulating composition and structure of coal-based graphene and its electrochemical characteristics

Coal, a carbon-rich mineral with plentiful reserves, serves not only as a fuel but also as a raw material, presenting lower pollution emissions in the latter use. From a materials chemistry standpoint, coal is a viable raw material for graphene production. This study develops a promising and sustainable method to convert coal into graphene, leveraging its unique macromolecular aromatic structure and high carbon content. The investigation includes an analysis of the lateral size, morphology, and chemical composition of coal-derived graphene using techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical microscopy. Results confirm that coal can effectively replace natural graphite flakes in graphene production, with the derived graphene featuring three to six exfoliated layers and an oxygen content below 5.5%. While the graphene from coal shares a similar morphology to that derived from graphite, it exhibits more structural defects. Interestingly, the macroscopic size of the coal does not influence the microscopic composition and structure of the graphene. However, the thermal reduction method for oxidized graphene proves more effective at repairing structural defects than chemical reduction. Employing coal-derived graphene as a supercapacitor electrode demonstrates excellent cycling stability and ultra-high capacitance storage capacity. The H-CG-325 shows the highest discharge area-specific capacitance across various current densities. At an increased current density of 10 A/g, the H-CG-325 maintains 80.6% of its initial capacitance of 79 F/g observed at 1 A/g. Electrochemical tests reveal that coal-based graphene holds significant potential as a supercapacitor material, indicating promising applications in energy storage and conversion. A promising and sustainable method to convert coal into graphene is developed, leveraging coal's unique macromolecular aromatic structure and high carbon content. The investigation includes an analysis of the lateral size, morphology, and chemical composition of coal-derived graphene. Graphical Abstract