Rikson Siburian, Kerista Tarigan, Yosia Gopas Oetama Manik, Fajar Hutagalung, Yatimah Alias, Yong Ching Chan, Boon Peng Chang, Jonathan Siow, Amanda Jiamin Ong, Jingfeng Huang, Suriati Paiman, Boon Tong Goh, Lisnawaty Simatupang, Ronn Goei, Alfred Iing Yoong Tok, Mohd Fakharul Zaman Raja Yahya, Fathan Bahfie
Graphene was synthesized through a two-step pyrolysis method using waste candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) shells as the precursor. Cerium (Ce)/graphene composites were prepared via an impregnation technique. The resulting graphene and Ce/graphene were characterized using various analytical methods, including Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV). The bio-carbon produced predominantly exhibited a graphene structure with flat carbon morphology and an interlayer distance of 0.33 nm. This structural information is supported by XRD data, which shows a broad and weak peak at 2θ = 26° corresponding to the C (002) plane, indicative of graphene presence. FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy further confirmed the presence of graphene through the detection of Csp2 aromatic bonds and the characteristic D, G, and 2D peaks. Notably, the performance of cerium can be enhanced by the incorporation of graphene, attributed to the large surface area and chemical interactions between Ce and graphene. Consequently, candlenut-derived graphene shows potential as a supportive material for modifying the properties of cerium, due to the current value of Ce/Graphene increase with presence of graphene, thereby opening avenues for various advanced applications, such as sustainable and high-performance energy storage systems. © 2024 by the authors.
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Carbon and Frankincense Research Center, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University, Jl. Kampus Unsrat Kleak, Manado, 95115, Indonesia; Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; University Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids (UMCiL), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore; Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan 43400, Malaysia; Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, 20221, Indonesia; Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Shah Alam, 40450, Malaysia; Research Center for Mining Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta Pusat 10340, Indonesia
