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Multidimensional Co‐Exfoliated Activated Graphene‐Based Carbon Hybrid for Supercapacitor Electrode
Author(s) -
Phiri Josphat,
Gane Patrick,
Maloney Thad C.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
energy technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 2194-4296
pISSN - 2194-4288
DOI - 10.1002/ente.201900578
Subject(s) - supercapacitor , graphene , environmentally friendly , materials science , electrode , fabrication , capacitance , activated carbon , nanotechnology , specific surface area , graphene foam , chemical engineering , carbon fibers , graphene oxide paper , composite material , composite number , chemistry , organic chemistry , alternative medicine , ecology , pathology , engineering , biology , adsorption , catalysis , medicine
Herein, a simple route for the fabrication of highly porous‐activated few‐layer graphene for application in supercapacitors as an electrode material is reported. The process makes use of natural and renewable materials, which is an essential prerequisite, especially for large‐scale application. Few‐layer graphene is exfoliated in aqueous suspension with the aid of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), an environmentally benign eco‐friendly medium that is low‐cost, biodegradable, and sustainable. The exfoliated product is subsequently activated to increase the surface area and to form the desired pore structure. The prepared electrode materials exhibit a high surface area of up to 720 m 2 g −1 . MFC is also used as a nontoxic environmentally friendly binder in the electrode application. The electrochemical performance is evaluated in a three‐electrode system, and the prepared samples show a high specific capacitance of up to 120 F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 . The samples also exhibit a high capacity‐retention rate of about 99% after 5000 cycles and 97% after 10 000 cycles. The proposed method for the fabrication of graphene‐based supercapacitor electrode materials, based largely on renewable and sustainable materials, offers potential for commercially viable applications.