Selection of Carbon Electrode Materials

Capacitive deionization (CDI) aims to sequester ionic species in an electrochemical double layer that forms at the interface between the solution and porous electrode, therefore resulting in desalination, in which the porous electrode as the ion accumulation accepter plays a vital role during adsorption. Generally, the electrode is made of porous materials with high specific surface area and superior conductivity, both of which will be of great advantage in absorbing large quantities of salt ions for desalination. Carbons, due to their good electrical conductivity, high surface area, and low cost, are considered to be the most promising materials for CDI. In recent years, most reports of CDI studies typically utilized various carbon materials with high specific area. In this chapter, carbon materials and their nitrogen-doped partners are discussed in detail.