Preparation and Characterization of Physically Activated Carbon and Its Energetic Application for All-Solid-State...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Renewable Energy

Background:

• Biomass-derived activated carbons are promising for supercapacitors due to sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
• Developing efficient and environmentally friendly synthesis methods for these materials is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize physically activated carbon from date seed biomass for use in all-solid-state supercapacitors.
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance of date seed-derived activated carbon electrodes with a PVA/KOH gel polymer electrolyte.

Main Methods:

• Date seed biomass was carbonized at 600 °C and then physically activated using CO2 at 850 °C.
• Morphological characterization was performed using SEM and TEM.
• Electrochemical performance was assessed using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements.

Main Results:

• The activated carbon (C-850) exhibited porous, flaky, and multilayered morphologies.
• The supercapacitor achieved a specific capacitance of 138.12 F g⁻¹ at 5 mV s⁻¹, retaining 16 F g⁻¹ at 100 mV s⁻¹.
• The all-solid-state supercapacitor demonstrated an energy density of 9.6 Wh kg⁻¹ and a power density of 87.86 W kg⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• Date seed-derived activated carbon is a viable electrode material for high-performance all-solid-state supercapacitors.
• The developed KOH-free activation process offers a sustainable route for producing advanced energy storage materials.
• The study highlights the potential of agricultural waste for creating functional materials for renewable energy applications.