Fabrication of hierarchically structured supercapacitor using N and S co‐doped activated carbons derived from Samanea saman biomass
File(s)Revised_Manuscript_No-markup_26-02-2024.docx (5.43 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Sarmah, Saswati
Kakati, Biraj Kumar
Kucernak, Anthony RJ
Deka, Dhanapati
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Biomass-derived activated carbons have emerged as highly promising electrode materials for electrochemical supercapacitors due to their remarkable characteristics, such as high surface area, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. This study focuses on the synthesis of N and S co-doped activated carbons (NSACs) from Samanea saman (rain tree) biomass through a combined hydrothermal-chemical activation process. Leveraging the advantageous hierarchical structure inherent to biological sources, the resulting NSACs demonstrate enhanced ion transport, leading to remarkable capacity and power density. The NSACs synthesized by pyrolysis at 800°C exhibit exceptional specific capacitances of 434 and 401 Fg−1 in Na2SO4 and H2SO4 electrolytes, respectively, in a three-electrode system. The capacitance retention of the same NSAC was found to be 77.6% at a corresponding current density of 10 Ag−1 in H2SO4 electrolyte. This outstanding electrochemical performance can be attributed to the material's high specific surface area (1402 m2 g−1), well-defined hierarchical porous structure, and a substantial degree of graphitization. A symmetric supercapacitor constructed using the synthesized NSACs demonstrates notable energy densities of 14.5 and 25.0 Whkg−1, with H2SO4 and Na2SO4 electrolytes respectively. Furthermore, the symmetric supercapacitor exhibits excellent stability, retaining 91.3%–94.3% of its capacity after 5000 consecutive GCD cycles with H2SO4 and Na2SO4 electrolytes, respectively. The synergistic combination of the unique characteristics of NSACs derived from Samanea saman biomass presents a promising avenue for the development of high-performance and environment-friendly supercapacitors.
Date Issued
2024-03
Date Acceptance
2024-03-09
Citation
Energy Storage, 2024, 6 (2)
ISSN
2578-4862
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
Energy Storage
Volume
6
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the author’s accepted manuscript made available under a CC-BY licence in accordance with Imperial’s Research Publications Open Access policy (www.imperial.ac.uk/oa-policy)
License URL
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/est2.616
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e616
Date Publish Online
2024-03-25