Cover: Collagen-Derived Materials, 1 by Feng Wang

Collagen‐Derived Materials

Synthesis and Applications in Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion

 

 

Feng Wang, Yaqin Huang, and Jin Niu

 

 

 

 

 

Logo: Wiley

Preface

Global energy demand and environmental degradation have resulted in a severe crisis in the sustainable development of the international community. In this context, it is necessary to develop high‐efficiency electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices to address the challenges. The assembly of the devices needs materials (especially electrode materials) that should not only show high performance but also have sustainability and low cost.

As one kind of natural biomass, collagen exists in the connective tissues of animals, comprising 23 kinds of amino acids. As the hydrolysate of collagen, gelatin has unique water solubility, rheological property, and gel property. By virtue of rich carbon atoms and non‐carbon atoms (e.g. nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur), collagen and gelatin can be converted into a new kind of carbon material. The collagen‐derived carbons have heteroatom doping and unique morphologies, which are derived from the natural structural compositions of the collagen‐enriched precursors. By virtue of their structural compositions and unique properties, the collagen‐derived materials (including gelatin and collagen‐derived carbons) show promising applications in electrochemical energy storage and conversion.

Our group has been devoted to collagen and collagen‐derived materials since 1997. We started from the gelatin extraction from collagen and gradually expanded the applications of collagen‐derived materials. So far, gelatin with and without modification has been used as different modifying agents for electrodes, separators, and electrolytes. Collagen‐derived carbons with different morphology structures and chemical compositions have also been used as electrodes and support materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Based on the related works, we have published over 100 peer‐reviewed journal papers and authored more than 40 patents.

This book is based on our published works and also includes typical works by other researchers. It is divided into ten chapters, and written by Prof. Feng Wang, Prof. Yaqin Huang, and Prof. Jin Niu. This book covers basic knowledge of collagen and collagen‐derived materials, and their typical synthesis and applications. Moreover, it also presents the up‐to‐date ideas and strategies for the synthesis and characterization of advanced collagen‐derived materials, as well as multifunctional applications in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Therefore, this book can not only enable students and new researchers to obtain easy understanding of these materials and their applications but also serve as an important reference book for scientists and engineers in other research fields.

I would like to thank the other group members for their assistance during the book writing, including Mengyue Liu, Yongzheng Shi, Feng Zhu, Junhui Sun, Binke Li, Na Yang, Rong Shao, Jiaxing Liu, and Weihao Song. I would also like to thank my current and former group members, as well as collaborators who have contributed to the study on collagen‐derived materials. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52130206, U20A20337, 51432003, 22178016, and 52003025) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (buctrc202024).

 

Beijing, China
10 August 2021

Feng Wang