Structural Changes of Hydrothermally Treated Biochar with Ball-Milling

Glucose was hydrothermally treated to produce an amorphous oxygenated carbon structure known as biochar. Ball-milling was used to generate structural changes on the biochar and the time-dependence of these changes was studied. Raman spectroscopy was the primary tool for these studies, with additional Electron-spin resonance experiments carried out to verify structural changes. Ball-milling appears to produce enough strain on the char to generate defect sites. These radical sites accumulate with extended ball-milling time and form new locally stable structures within the char. Utilizing the radical molecules prior to their stabilization may be a new approach to greener functionalization of carbon-based catalysts