Alfonso Policicchio

Università della Calabria | Università della Calabria · Department of Physics

Activated carbons exhibit a high grade of porosity, which together with structural stability, regenerability and cyclability makes them capable of achieving excellent hydrogen adsorption capacity. A further advantage comes from the ease of production and the use of recyclable and biocompatible materials. A simple way to produce activated carbons fr...

The results of this study will help in guiding the future design of low-cost and highly performing functionalized mesoporous silica using cationic surfactants as directing agents. Indeed, by properly tuning surface interactions and the textural characteristics, the overall efficiency of H2 capture processes could be improved. Among different synthe...

The role of graphene related material (GRM) functionalization on the structural and adsorption properties of MOF-based hybrids was deepened by exploring the use of three GRMs obtained from the chemical demolition of a nanostructured carbon black. Oxidized graphene-like (GL-ox), hydrazine reduced graphene-like (GL), and amine-grafted graphene-like (...

In spite of the widespread range of hydrogen applications as one of the greenest energy vectors, its transportation and storage still remain among the main concerns to be solved in order to definitively kickstart a rapid takeoff of a sustainable H2 economy. The quest for a simple, efficient, and highly reversible release storage technique is a very...

1. Introduction Zeolite templated carbons (ZTCs) are carbon-based materials with a well-defined microporous morphology that can be prepared by different processes, like Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) or Wet Impregnation (to cite the most known procedures). In CVD technique, a gaseous carbon-source (e.g. ethylene) is bought into contact with a zeol...

The synthesis and design of two-dimensional supramolecular assemblies with specific functionalities is one of the principal goals of the emerging field of molecule-based electronics, which is relevant for many technological applications. Although a large number of molecular assemblies have been already investigated, engineering uniform and highly o...

The synthesis and design of two-dimensional supramolecular assemblies with specific functionalities is one of the principal goals of the emerging field of molecule-based electronics, which is relevant for many technological applications. Although a large number of molecular assemblies have been already investigated, engineering uniform and highly o...

Various aspects as pore size, surface area, functionalization and pore volume of materials have to be considered when are envisaged increased hydrogen storage performances [1, 2]. Different materials were synthetized by using the post-grafting method in alkaline conditions, through a modified Stöber process. Starting the simple silica, it was used...

In order to be tested for their gas storage properties, mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by sol-gel method, starting from tetraethyl orthosilicate silica precursor. Besides, the following precursors have been added in different molar ratios: triethoxyvinylsilan, diethoxy(methyl)vinylsilane or methyltriethoxysilane. Ammonia was used as c...

A novel good performing and selective polymeric sorbent has been synthesized by chemical modification of eco-friendly and inexpensive polysulfone through introduction of quaternary ammonium pendant groups (qPSU). The self-standing film conjugated outstanding thermo-mechanical resistance with high selectivity of adsorption for CO2 over methane, fast...

Activated Carbons (ACs) are a type of materials showing a microporous structures, which means pores width < 2 nm [1], that together with their structural stability, regenerability and high cyclability make them able to obtain excellent hydrogen (H2) adsorption capacity. A further advantage comes from the ease of production and the use of recyclable...

Discarded cigarette butts are a major waste disposal and environmental pollution hazard due to mainly containing cellulose acetate which is non-biodegradable. Unless causing litter, they contain contaminants such as toxic heavy metals, which can leach into waterways, potentially causing harm to both humans and wildlife [1]. The present experimenta...

Zeolite-Template-Carbon is a new class of porous ordered carbon-based materials synthetized using 3-D zeolites as a template, then for these features have been investigated CO2 capture. This work presents the synthesis and characterization of ZTC on beta-type zeolite with a tuning-surface properties procedure resulting from different post-synthesis...

Hydrogen, as energy vector, could play a significant role in the transition to clean low carbon and sustainable energy systems. Solid-state hydrogen storage is one of the main challenges for hydrogen storage in different applications, and it is pushed forward because of safety consideration and high volumetric capacity. One of the materials propos...

A trimethylammonium-functionalized polyepichlorohydrin membrane (TPp) was synthesized using inexpensive, eco-friendly raw materials and easy synthetic steps and evaluated as CO 2 sorbent. The polymeric membrane exhibited satisfactory sorbent performance in terms of stability, rapid adsorption, high selectivity and working capacity. The peak capture...

Hydrogen is expected to be a future energy vector for sustainable development that can be utilized widely in different sectors. However, the hydrogen technology suffers the major challenge of its storage and transportation. Investigations developed over the last decade point out that the storage of hydrogen in solid form is more suitable option to...

The transition away from fossil fuel and ultimately to a carbon-neutral energy sector requires new storage materials for hydrogen and methane as well as new solutions for carbon capture and storage. Among the investigated adsorbents, activated carbons are considered especially promising because they have a high specific surface area, are lightweigh...

Global warming and environmental concerns have triggered global efforts to reduce anthropogenic carbon emission. Against this background, mesoporous silica materials have experienced a great expansion in the latest years due to their interesting carbon capture properties. Despite the very vast literature currently available in synthetic strategies...

The growing energy demand and the need to decrease the environmental effects from the use of fossil fuels have led to the study of new clean fuels and smart solutions. In particular, attention is paid to alternative energy sources such as hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) who show lower atmospheric emission and higher availability then conventional p...

The principal aim within of European Green Deal is the climate-neutrality by 2050, or to have an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. In this scenario, the impact that hydrogen technologies will have in the definitive ecological transition of the energy, transport and industrial systems is enormous and represents the keystone for sustain...

Meeting the increasing global demand for energy while simultaneously facing the climate change due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) has become the great paradox of the 21st century [1]. If we really want to meet both these criteria, the development of CO2 capture, use, and storage technology has become imperative for sustainable energy infrast...

The development of porous materials for efficient Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) processes plays a fundamental role in climate change mitigation. Due to their interesting and tunable porous structure, Zeolite-Template Carbon (ZTC) materials have been investigated as a new class of ordered carbon-based materials synthetized using 3-D zeolites as a...

Increased in environmental pollution by fossil fuel correlated to the need of carrying out a rapid transition to a green economy, has attracted great attention around alternative source of energies such as hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4). One of the main problems in this field is the possibility to store both gases effectively and in safe condition...

In this study, the storage capacities of new-concept metal organic frameworks (MOFs) hybrids towards CO2 and CH4 were investigated. Three benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (BTC)-based MOFs with different metallic centers (Cu, Al, Fe) and their hybrids embedding a new-concept graphene related material (graphene like (GL) layers) at low concentration...

The target for European decarburization encourages the use of renewable energy sources and H2 is considered the link in the global energy system transformation. So, research studies are numerous, but only few facilities can test materials and components for H2 storage. This work offers a brief review of H2 storage methods and presents the prelimina...

The present study reports a systematic analysis of morphology and hydrogen sorption capacity of mesoporous organic-inorganic silica prepared by varying the silica synthesis parameters. Cationic surfactants of different chain lengths and different proportions of functionalised precursors were introduced in the synthesis mixture. Improved hydrogen st...

New composites have been synthesized containing nanographite (nGr) particles as platforms for the deposition of UiO-66 crystals. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, N2 adsorption and scanning electron microscopy. The addition of nGr markedly increased the porosity determined by N2 adsorption (0.5 nm ultramicropores wer...

Carbon-based nanostructures are considered promising materials for gas storage thanks to robust structure, tunable porosity, lightweight, high thermal/chemical stability and easy production. This study reports the development of activated carbon fibers prepared from commercial Kevlar® through an innovative pyrolysis method, consisting of carbonizat...

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in conjunction with an increasing use of renewables provides a clean pathway to sustainable development and climate change mitigation. In selecting a low temperature CCS adsorbent, parameters such as selectivity, regeneration energy, and economicity play a crucial role. Poly(L‐lactide) (PLA) is one of the most promi...

New composites consisting of 2% cellulose nanocrystals (NC) of various surface chemistries (i.e., carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids, and amines) incorporated into UiO‐66 are synthesized. Nanocellulose and the composites are characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, N2 and CO2 adsorption, and thermogravimetric analy...

Porphyrins are a versatile class of molecules, which have attracted attention over the years due to their electronic, optical and biological properties. Self-assembled monolayers of porphyrins were widely studied on metal surfaces in order to understand the supramolecular organization of these molecules, which is a crucial step towards the developm...

Pinecones, a common biomass waste, has an interesting composition in terms of cellulose and lignine content that makes them excellent precursors in various activated carbon production processes. The synthesized, nanostructured, activated carbon materials show textural properties, a high specific surface area, and a large volume of micropores, which...

H2 adsorption properties of ordered mesoporous silica prepared with different ratios of functionalized precursors have been studied. Silica particles were synthesized by sol-gel method, with tetradecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (C14) or dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C12) as structure directing agents, and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltr...

The goal is to investigate the feasibility to use a local biomass (Posidonia Oceanica and Wood chips), as a raw precursor, to the production of activated carbons (AC) with a high surface area and remarkable hydrogen (H2) adsorption properties. Biomasses (particle size of 0.3–0.4 mm) were pyrolyzed at 600 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C/min under an...

The challenging decarburization European target, requiring significant cuts in greenhouse emissions, strongly pushes towards the use of renewable energy sources. In this scenario Hydrogen, as a clean energy carrier, plays a basic role. Hydrogen has highest energy density per unit mass of any fuel, but being the lightest and lower density element, i...

With an objective to fully utilize a high catalytic capability of sludge-based adsorbents towards hydrogen sulfide oxidation, the composites consisting of a sewage sludge derived phase and coconut-carbon were synthesized with 10 and 30% of the latter phase. They were obtained by simple pyrolysis at 600, 800 and 950 °C. After an extensive surface ch...

Within the framework of two RETOS Research projects (GRAFAGEN and DIGRAFEN), a device to evaluate the storage of hydrogen in new graphene-based materials synthesized in the CIEMAT Spectroscopy Unit has been developed by means of chemical treatments, thermal treatments starting from graphite and in ISOM by means of graphite oxide reduction by laser....

The functionalization improving the interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate is the breakthrough for synthesizing an optimum hydrogen storage material. Subsequently the functionalized silica materials are prepared, their properties are verified, and the most adequate materials are chosen for the envisaged application. By reason of the fact that...

In order to be tested for their hydrogen storage properties, mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by sol-gel method, starting from tetraethyl orthosilicate silica precursor. Besides, the following organically precursors have been added in different molar ratios: triethoxyvinylsilan, diethoxy(methyl)vinylsilane and methyltriethoxysilane. Amm...

The hydrogen adsorption properties of prepared functionalized mesoporous silica with different compositions have been studied. The different adsorption properties can be adducted to the different interaction between the sorbent and the adsorbant species, and that can be related to the structural, morphological and chemical properties of the samples...

Hybrids containing approximately equal amounts of P25 TiO2 and S-doped porous carbons were prepared using a water-based slurry mixing method. The materials were extensively characterized by adsorption of nitrogen, potentiometric titration, thermal analysis in air and in helium, XRD, XPS and SEM. The collected results showed the significant blockage...

Metal-free nanoporous carbons, either as received or sulfur doped, have been studied as photocatalysts for the degradation of phenol under solar light irradiation. The introduction of sulfur significantly enhanced both phenol adsorption and photodegradation. The texture and surface chemistry of the catalysts tested were evaluated using adsorption o...

The aim of our study was to tailor the synthesis parameters in order to obtain suitable material for hydrogen storage. Mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by using the sol-gel method, in acidic condition, from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) precursors, by varying the molar ratio of the silica precursors. Nitric a...

The hydrogen adsorption properties of prepared functionalized mesoporous silica with different compositions have been studied. The different adsorption properties can be adducted to the different interaction between the sorbent and the adsorbant species, and that can be related to the structural, morphological and chemical properties of the samples...

A NaX nanozeolite-geopolymer monolith, with hierarchical porosity, has been produced by a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis using metakaolin as alluminosilicate source and a sodium silicate solution as activator. Its final composition, reported in terms of oxides, is 1.3–Na2O–3.0SiO2–1Al2O3–12H2O. Its microstructural and chemical features and CO2 adso...

The H2 adsorption properties of prepared functionalized porous silica with different compositions have been studied. Mesoporous silica particles were synthesized by using the sol-gel method, with tetradecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (C14) or dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C12) as structure directing agents from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and met...

An experimental research has been done investigating the effects of the addition of multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) on the rheological behaviour of bitumen and its microstructure. two different types of CNT have been tested, consisted of a product obtained by laboratory synthesis through Catalytic Chemical Vapour Deposition (CCVD) technique an...

The Europen Community guidelines for a low carbon emission economy foresee a challenging target: a reduction of 80% in greenhouse gasses with respect to the target of 1990 within 2050. This can be achieved through the synergy of different technologies, as renewable energy production, clean fuels for automotive, etc. In this scenario H2 plays a basi...

Hydrophobic soot was prepared by a simple impregnation of soot particles with cobalt, nickel or iron salts, followed by heat treatment at ∼800 °C. X-ray and thermal analyses revealed that metal (Co and Ni) or oxide (magnetite) nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of soot particles. The evaluation of the soot microstructure and porosity by Ra...

In situ functionalized, with different organically groups, mesoporous matrices were generated, starting from silica tetra-alcoxide and functionalized tri- or di-alkoxides, (triethoxyvinylsilan, diethoxy(methyl)vinylsilane and methyltriethoxysilane) mixtures, via sol-gel synthesis. Mesoporous silica matrices have been prepared with the purpose of ta...

A NaX nanozeolite-geopolymer monolith, with hierarchical porosity, has been produced by a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis using metakaolin as alluminosilicate source and a sodium silicate solution as activator. Its final composition, reported in terms of oxides, is 1.3–Na2O–3.0SiO2–1Al2O3–12H2O. Its microstructural and chemical features and CO2 adso...

The methane adsorption properties of activated carbon samples from pinecones using chemical activation with different KOH/precursor ratio were evaluated at room temperature (298K) and pressure up to 35 bar using a volumetric Sievert type apparatus. A comprehensive characterization of different activated carbon samples was carried out by means of n...

With the rapid increasing of the available number of novel porous materials, a straightforward and low-cost testing methodology to assess those suitable for near ambient temperature hydrogen storage applications is needed. In this work, we developed a new assessment methodology to quickly identify those porous materials potentially suitable for nea...

The growth of graphene on copper foil has been performed, following the well-known low-pressure chemical vapor (LP-CVD) procedure. The as-deposited monolayer graphene clearly exhibits two different coupling behaviors with the metal substrate, as demonstrated by visual microscopic investigation and by other experimental techniques, like Scanning Ele...

Two requirements of a porous filler for Mixed Matrix Membranes [MMMs] are a good adhesion to the polymer and the openness of its pores. The surface of SAPO-34 has been grafted with moieties containing amino groups, aromatic rings, and fluorinated chains, for a good adhesion to glassy polyimides, aromatic polymers and perfluoropolymers. The controll...

The aim of this comprehensive review on materials for methane storage application is to understand which are the best conditions and the best materials for their use for the implementation of storage tank. The research was focused on two different families of samples that up to now appear like the most promising. In particular, Activated carbon and...

DeltaH is a new facility of the Matelios District, a consortium among several private companies and research and academic institutions, dedicated to the study and development of advanced materials and technologies for the implementation of systems of production of energy from renewable sources. The research activities and services of the DeltaH lab...

MWCNTs are considered as high performance adsorption materials. In this paper these materials are tested in the adsorption treatments of reactive Blue 116, Red 159 and Yellow 81, used in textile applications. The evaluation of kinetic behavior and the study of adsorption isotherms permits to define nanotubes as suitable for potential industrial app...

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a cheap and sustainable polymer with long-term degradation (3–4 years) and low temperature transition (T m = ~60 C). We report on the investigation of PCL as a valid green candidate for Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU). Studies were carried out by two complementary tools: a Sievert-type volumetric apparatus, to tho...

A new type of porous ceramic supports for membranes has been designed. The new supports have been fabricated from polycrystalline quartz sand and calcite raw materials. In this work, two configurations of support (tubular and flat) have been produced using extrusion method. The open porosity, the pore size distribution, the average pore size (APS),...

In a world where reduction of CO2 emissions appears necessary to manage greenhouse effect and global warming, two main strategies have been considered: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU). [1] The latter employs the carbon dioxide as a C1-building block in synthetic reactions, such as the Fischer-Tropsch reacti...

Hydrogen is one of the most promising candidate as alternative energy carrier because of it’s high gravimetric energy density (39,4 kWh/Kg), three times higher than the normal fossil fuels; unfortunately it has a very low volumetric energy density (1 bar and 25°C: 0,003 kWh/L) compared to the other common fuels (~10 kWh/L). The hydrogen energy dens...

The paper deals with the application of multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to the adsorption of dyes from wastewater. Textile dyes are dangerous and diffused pollutant in wastewater, and the paper results confirmed the good adsorption ability of CNTs, with respect to classic active carbon, even for different dye types. The effect of surface treatmen...

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in conjunction with an increasing use of renewables provides a clean pathway to sustainable development and climate change mitigation. [1] In selecting a low temperature CCS adsorbent, parameters such as selectivity, regeneration energy and economicity play a crucial role.[1] Polylactide (PLA) is a renewable resourc...

ABSTRACT Storage, delivery and end-use systems design are issues delaying the widespread use of hydrogen as energy carrier1. Hydrogen storage in solid materials is one promising approach to tackle some of these problems; in particular the adsorption on porous materials have many interesting prospects because of the non-dissociative sorption process...

The CVD methods of deposition of graphene on metal surfaces generates many different results, depending on the details of growth protocol, and show interesting properties both for the deposited graphene layers and for their interaction with metal substrate. The Raman micro-spectroscopy is among the most effective techniques to characterize these sy...

In this study hybrid Mesoporous Organosilicas (HMOs) were synthesized by using tetra-ethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica source and 1,4-bis(tri-ethoxysilyl)benzene (BTB) in various BTB/TEOS ratios. The two extreme cases of 0 and 100 mol% BTB are compared with partial addition of BTB (25 mol%) and partial absence of TEOS (75 mol% BTB). The synthesi...

Hydrogen adsorption into porous solid materials has the most interesting prospects for development and improvement due to the absence of activation energy, fast kinetic of adsorption and desorption, reversibility, non-destruction of material structure. Activated carbon (aC), compared to other high specific surface porous materials like zeolites, po...

A new class of hybrid materials based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) rooted on smectite clays (SWy) was synthesized by Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) method, and studied to be introduced in a perfluorosulfonic acid (Nafion®) membrane. Side-wall chemical oxidation and organo-functionalization of the CNT was performed using organic ester molec...

Adsorption of CO2 at temperatures close to ambient and up to 1.5 MPa was measured on nanoporous polymer-derived carbon, on its composite with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and on their air oxidized counterparts. The isotherms were fitted by the LBET class models and the adsorption mechanisms were described in terms of parameters derived from the me...

The adsorption and the thermal desorption of hydrogen in as-made and surface-modified silicalite-1 (MFI) loose crystals has been studied to shed light on the relation between the outer surface barrier and the transport of mass through it. The four different surface modifications can be probed by the change in the contact angle of water, but do not...

The hydrogen adsorption properties of commercial activated carbon (aC) samples, in particular Nuchar SA-1500, Filtercarb GCC 8x30 and Filtercarb PHA, are evaluated at different temperatures (77 K, 196 K and ambient temperature) and pressure up to 80 bar. A comprehensive characterization is carried out by means of a volumetric Sieverts-type apparatu...