Studies on supercapacitor electrode material from activated lignin-derived mesoporous carbon

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Mesoporous carbon materials are crucial for electrochemical energy storage.
• Lignin, a biomass-derived polymer, offers a sustainable precursor for carbon materials.
• Enhancing porosity and electrochemical performance of lignin-derived carbons is an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize activated mesoporous carbon from lignin.
• To investigate the effect of physical and chemical activation on carbon properties.
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance of the synthesized carbons for supercapacitor applications.

Main Methods:

• Lignin gel was synthesized using a surfactant as a pore-forming agent.
• The synthesized mesoporous carbon underwent physical and chemical activation.
• Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (Nyquist plots) were employed.

Main Results:

• Activated mesoporous carbons showed a 1.5- to 6-fold increase in porosity.
• Maximum BET specific surface area reached 1148 m²/g with a pore volume of 1.0 cm³/g.
• Activation enhanced both mesoporosity and microporosity, leading to improved gravimetric specific capacitance and ideal double-layer capacitance behavior.

Conclusions:

• Biomass-derived activated mesoporous carbons exhibit significant potential for supercapacitor applications.
• Activation strategies effectively enhance porosity and electrochemical performance.
• The developed materials offer a sustainable route to advanced energy storage solutions.