Fine-tuning the catalytic cracking-assisted synthesis of plastic-derived MWCNTs-supported metal oxides for methanol electrooxidation
Anawat Thivasasith,
Chadatip Rodaum,
Watinee Nunthakitgoson,
Sunpet Assavapanumat,
Chularat Wattanakit
Affiliations
Anawat Thivasasith
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Energy Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
Chadatip Rodaum
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Energy Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
Watinee Nunthakitgoson
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Energy Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
Sunpet Assavapanumat
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Energy Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
Chularat Wattanakit
Corresponding author at: Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, 555 Moo 1 Payupnai, Wangchan, Rayong 21210, Thailand.; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Energy Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been successfully fabricated using waste plastics via the two-stage process combining between catalytic cracking with the aid of an acid zeolite, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using transition metals supported on zeolites as catalysts. By fine-tuning the catalytic cracking process with an appropriate zeolite, the small carbon intermediates can be produced from starting plastics. Subsequently, transition metals supported on zeolites were used as catalytic templates in the CVD process to efficiently produce uniform structured and high qualified MWCNTs with a very high yield (96%) from cracked products. Interestingly, the fabricated materials exhibit the significantly improved electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol up to 8 to 14-fold advantage with respect to the one obtained by a traditional synthesis. These findings open up new opportunities to fine-tune the performance of synthesized CNTs from plastics in an electrocatalysis.
