Supermolecule Cucurbituril Subnanoporous Carbon Supercapacitor (SCSCS).

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Preparing subnanometer porous materials is challenging using traditional precursors.
• Supramolecules are rarely used as carbon sources due to complex synthesis and purification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile one-pot method for fabricating supramolecular coordination compounds as carbon sources.
• To create novel subnanoporous carbon materials for high-performance energy storage.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of supramolecular coordination compounds as carbon sources.
• Characterization of the derived carbon materials (CBC) for nitrogen content, surface area, and pore size distribution.
• Electrode fabrication and electrochemical testing of supercapacitors in ionic liquid electrolyte.

Main Results:

• Achieved high nitrogen content (7.0-22.0%) and surface area (552-861 m² g⁻¹) in CB[6]-derived carbons (CBC).
• CBC materials exhibit subnano/mesopores with a narrow size distribution at 5.9 Å.
• Supercapacitors demonstrated high energy density (117.1 Wh kg⁻¹) and a wide potential window (>3.8 V).

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated a facile fabrication of novel cucurbituril subnanoporous carbon materials from supramolecules.
• Showcased smart "pores and balls" design for advanced energy storage applications.
• Highlighted the potential of these materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage systems.