@article{Mashkour:2027:10.1016/j.matchemphys.2026.133273,
author = {Mashkour, M and Singh, M and Lycksam, H and Forsberg, F and Bismarck, A and Oksman, K},
doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2026.133273},
journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics},
title = {Micro–nanoarchitectonics of lignin-derived carbon aerogels: Linking accessible hierarchical porosity to microbial fuel cell performance},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2026.133273},
volume = {372},
year = {2027}
}

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TY  - JOUR
AB  - Sustainable porous carbon materials derived from renewable biomass offer promising alternatives to fossil-derived electrodes for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. In this study, hierarchically porous carbon aerogels were fabricated from lignin and cellulose nanomaterials by ice-templating followed by carbonization at 1000 or 1400°C under a nitrogen atmosphere. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were used to tailor the pore architecture of the carbon aerogels, which were evaluated as capacitive bioanodes in supercapacitive microbial fuel cells (MFCs). All carbon aerogels exhibited anisotropic structures with aligned macroporous channels (∼20–25 μm) that facilitated biofilm formation within the pore architecture. The L-CNF aerogel carbonized at 1000°C exhibited the best electrochemical performance, with a specific surface area (SSA) of 416 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>, a maximum power density of 1840 mW m<sup>−2</sup>, and the highest apparent capacitance. Although carbonization at 1400°C increased the SSA to 731 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>, the increase was predominantly associated with microporosity and was accompanied by lower electrochemical performance. These results demonstrate that accessible, interconnected hierarchical porosity, rather than total specific surface area alone, is a key structural parameter influencing the performance of lignin-derived carbon bioanodes. Our study establishes a sustainable route for valorizing lignin into high-performance porous carbon electrodes and highlights that pore accessibility and connectivity are important design criteria for bio-based electrodes in electrochemical energy conversion and storage.
AU  - Mashkour,M
AU  - Singh,M
AU  - Lycksam,H
AU  - Forsberg,F
AU  - Bismarck,A
AU  - Oksman,K
DO  - 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2026.133273
PY  - 2027///
SN  - 0254-0584
TI  - Micro–nanoarchitectonics of lignin-derived carbon aerogels: Linking accessible hierarchical porosity to microbial fuel cell performance
T2  - Materials Chemistry and Physics
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2026.133273
VL  - 372
ER  - 

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