Open AccessUnraveling the Role of Oxides in Electrochemical Performance of Activated Carbons for High Voltage Symmetric Electric Double‐Layer Capacitors
Author(s) -
Khayyam Nekouei Rasoul,
S. Mofarah Sajjad,
Maroufi Samane,
Wang Wei,
Mansuri Irshad,
Sahajwalla Veena
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced energy and sustainability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2699-9412
DOI - 10.1002/aesr.202100130
Subject(s) - supercapacitor , materials science , capacitance , capacitor , electrochemistry , specific surface area , nanotechnology , activated carbon , oxide , fabrication , energy storage , electrode , chemical engineering , voltage , electrical engineering , chemistry , catalysis , metallurgy , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering , biochemistry , power (physics) , adsorption , quantum mechanics , medicine , physics , organic chemistry
Having control over the architecture of functional materials to maximize their exposed surface area and the working potential window is critical yet challenging for surface‐sensitive applications, including energy storage and environmental remediation. Herein, a sustainable and green strategy is established to fabricate activated carbon (AC) materials with designed microstructures including stratified architecture comprising stacked nanosheets with a surface area of 1743 m 2 g −1 and 3D scaffold with homogeneously distributed surface nanoholes with surface area as high as 2120 m 2 g −1 . An optimized pathway toward the fabrication of symmetric supercapacitors (SCs), highlighting impacts of AC precursors, activation process, and oxide nanostructures on electrochemical behaviors of the resultant ACs, is also offered. The representative symmetric two‐ and three‐electrode electric double‐layer capacitor (EDLC) configuration cells are fabricated using coffee‐ and textile‐derived ACs with high gravimetric capacitances of 377 and 356 F g −1 , respectively. Coffee‐derived AC exhibits excellent capacitance retention of 93% after ≈18 000 cycles under a remarkable potential window of 2.7 V in aqueous media. The findings broaden the current understanding on the optimization of electrochemical behavior of ACs using structural and morphological modifications, while uncovering the impacts of oxides on improving both energy density and cycling stability of AC‐based SCs.