Sustainable Sugarcane Bagasse-Derived Activated Carbon for High-Performance Symmetric Supercapacitor Devices...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is an abundant agricultural waste.
• Activated carbon is crucial for high-performance energy storage devices.
• Developing sustainable electrode materials is essential for next-generation supercapacitors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To transform sugarcane bagasse into activated carbon for supercapacitor applications.
• To investigate the electrochemical performance of SCB-derived activated carbon, both pure and KOH-activated.
• To evaluate the potential of SCB-based materials as sustainable and low-cost electrodes.

Main Methods:

• Thermochemical pyrolysis was used to convert SCB into activated carbon.
• Potassium hydroxide (KOH) was employed for further activation of the carbon material.
• Characterization included FT-Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and SEM.
• Electrochemical performance was assessed in aqueous symmetric supercapacitor configurations.

Main Results:

• KOH-activated SCB carbon (SCB-KOH-AC) exhibited a specific capacitance of 253.41 F/g at 0.5 A/g.
• Supercapacitor devices achieved an energy density of 17.91 Wh/kg and a power density of 2990 W/kg.
• The SCB-KOH-AC electrode maintained 93.89% capacitance after 10,000 cycles, indicating excellent stability.

Conclusions:

• Sugarcane bagasse-derived activated carbon, especially when KOH-activated, is a promising material for high-performance supercapacitors.
• The material offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional electrode materials.
• Optimized pore structure and enhanced electrochemical properties make it suitable for future energy storage solutions.