Tailoring Al-MOF-Derived Carbon for Balanced Electrochemical Performance in Both Negative and Positive Potential...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Supercapacitors are vital energy-storage devices due to high power density and long life.
• Porous carbon materials from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show promise for supercapacitor electrodes.
• Optimizing MOF-derived carbons requires understanding structure-performance relationships for dual-ion storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the effect of carbonization temperature on the properties of Al-NDC-MOF derived porous carbons.
• To correlate the tailored hierarchical pore structure, defect density, and surface chemistry with electrochemical performance.
• To achieve stable dual-ion storage in supercapacitor devices using these engineered materials.

Main Methods:

• Systematic variation of carbonization temperatures (700-900 °C) for Al-NDC-MOF.
• Characterization of porous carbons (AC-Al-NDC-x) for pore structure, defects, and surface chemistry.
• Electrochemical testing of materials in symmetric and asymmetric two-electrode supercapacitor devices.

Main Results:

• Carbonization temperature significantly influences pore hierarchy, defect density, and surface functional groups.
• The optimized AC-Al-NDC-800 sample demonstrated balanced electrochemical performance.
• The material functioned effectively as both positive and negative electrodes, enabling stable dual-ion storage.

Conclusions:

• A rational design strategy was developed for balancing pore structure and surface chemistry in MOF-derived carbons.
• The optimized porous carbon exhibits synergistic effects from micropores and mesopores for efficient energy storage and ion transport.
• This work provides insights for developing advanced electrode materials for stable dual-ion supercapacitors.