This study presents a simple route to prepare binder-free activated amorphous carbon nanofoam, which is explored as an electrochemical energy storage electrode.

A lunar landing pad (LLP) represents essential initial infrastructure for establishing sustainable lunar settlements. This study investigates the feasibility of constructing LLPs through in situ resource utilization (ISRU), focusing on an innovative composite material comprising lunar regolith and the high-performance thermoplastic Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK). The proposed manufacturing approach involves mechanically blending regolith with PEEK granules, compacting the mixture in a mold, and thermally processing it to induce polymer melting and binding. Experimental analysis indicates that a modest binder fraction (15 wt. % PEEK) yields a robust composite with a flexural strength of 14.6 MPa, although exhibiting inherently brittle characteristics. Compaction pressure emerges as a crucial factor influencing material performance. Utilizing these findings, hexagonal modular tiles were designed as the fundamental LLP elements, specifically engineered to optimize manufacturing simplicity, mechanical robustness, stackability for redundancy, and ease of replacement or repair. The tile geometry strategically mitigates brittleness-induced vulnerabilities by avoiding stress concentrations. Explicit finite element analyses validated tile performance under simulated lunar landing conditions corresponding to the European Large Logistic Lander specifications. Results demonstrated safe landing velocities between 0.1 and 0.7 m/s, governed by the binder content and compaction pressure. A clearly identified linear correlation between the binder fraction and permissible impact velocity enables predictive tailoring of the material composition, confirming the suitability and scalability of thermoplastic–regolith composites for future lunar infrastructure development.

Carbon atomic wires (CAWs) are finite linear chains of sp-hybridized carbon atoms. Here, the electrochemical reduction of CAWs in the form of polyynes (i.e., with alternated single-triple bonds) is reported. Upon application of a reducing potential to a solution containing polydispersed hydrogen-capped polyynes, the formation of a black precipitate was observed. Electronic absorption spectroscopy confirmed the irreversible reaction of the carbon chains while excluding the degradation or side reactions. Subsequent analyses revealed that the precipitate consisted of amorphous carbon nanoparticles with a tunable diameter. This control over particle size is attributed to the modulation of growth kinetics through restricted mass transport toward the solid–liquid interface. Raman spectroscopy showed that the resulting material exhibits an amorphous sp–sp2 character with a retained sp fraction exceeding 60%. Smaller nanoparticles displayed reduced disorder within the sp2 domains, and a broader distribution of sp-chain lengths was preserved in the amorphous matrix. Additional experiments on size-selected polyynes suggest that this synthesis method allows us to better preserve the starting chain length in the final structure. Unlike previously reported amorphous sp–sp2 carbon networks, the nanoparticles produced in this study show remarkable stability under ambient conditions, retaining their sp character for times in excess of 6 months. These findings pave the way for future applications, particularly as further diameter tuning may enable access to the quantum dot regime.

In this communication, we demonstrate an aqueous supercapacitor based on self-standing, porous, columnar, and 26 μm thick activated carbon nanofoam. The device delivers areal (volumetric) capacitance of 95.4 mF/cm2 (18.3 F/cm3) at 2 mA with retention of 103% at 20 mA and achieves 1V voltage compared to pristine and annealed ones.