Converting Corncob to Activated Porous Carbon for Supercapacitor Application.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Biomass-derived carbon materials are attractive for supercapacitors due to porosity, cost, and stability.
• Developing sustainable and high-performance electrode materials is crucial for advanced energy storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a hierarchical porous carbon from corncob for supercapacitor electrodes.
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance and stability of the corncob-derived carbon material.

Main Methods:

• Hierarchical porous carbon synthesized from corncob.
• Characterization of surface area (BET) and electrical conductivity.
• Electrochemical testing in 6 M KOH electrolyte using a two-electrode system.

Main Results:

• High BET surface area of 1471.4 m²·g⁻¹.
• Specific capacitance of 293 F·g⁻¹ at 1 A·g⁻¹, retaining 195 F·g⁻¹ at 5 A·g⁻¹.
• Energy density of 20.15 Wh·kg⁻¹ at 500 W·kg⁻¹ and 99.9% capacitance retention over 4000 cycles.

Conclusions:

• Hierarchical porous carbon from corncob is a high-performance electrode material for supercapacitors.
• The material demonstrates excellent capacitance, energy density, and long-term stability.
• This work highlights the potential of agricultural waste for sustainable energy storage solutions.