Chitosan-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon as a Supercapacitor Electrode Material

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Supercapacitor performance is critically dependent on electrode material properties.
• Developing sustainable and high-performance electrode materials is essential for energy storage applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile and green synthesis strategy for nitrogen-self-doped graphitized porous carbon (NGPC) from biomass.
• To investigate the electrochemical performance of NGPC as an electrode material for supercapacitors.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized NGPC using a freeze-drying and heat calcination process with chitosan as the carbon and nitrogen source.
• Utilized potassium tris(oxalato)ferrate(III) trihydrate as a multifunctional reagent for synergistic activation and graphitization.
• Constructed a three-dimensional porous carbon structure via one-step pyrolysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high specific capacitance of 286 F/g at 0.5 A/g in a three-electrode system.
• Demonstrated excellent cycling stability, retaining 93.7% capacitance after 10,000 cycles in a symmetric supercapacitor.
• Obtained a high energy density of 16.9 Wh/kg at a power density of 250 W/kg.

Conclusions:

• The developed green synthesis provides a promising route for low-cost, high-performance, biomass-derived electrode materials.
• NGPC exhibits significant potential for advanced supercapacitor applications.
• The synergistic integration of activation and graphitization in a one-step process is effective for creating advanced carbon materials.