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Liquid nitrogen-controlled direct pyrolysis/KOH activation mediated micro-mesoporous carbon synthesis from castor shell for enhanced performance of supercapacitor electrode

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Abstract

Direct pyrolysis/KOH activation of carbon from castor shell biomass is an economical combination of two processes to breakdown biomass lignin effectively. The advanced liquid nitrogen-controlled direct pyrolysis/KOH activation technique is even a shortened process, which optimizes the fugacious bond reformation for enhancing supercapacitors’ performance. Novel quenching of the red-hot activated carbon (heated at 800 °C) in liquid nitrogen is peculiar to the demonstrated structural changes. The desired throughput designated nKAC exhibited a high specific surface area of 1468 m2 g−1 over the initial 1131 m2 g−1 for KAC. In 6 M KOH electrolyte, the nKAC electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance of 481 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and an excellent rate capability of 298 F g−1 at 30 A g−1. In symmetric two electrodes test, the electrodes of nKAC show a high energy density of 17.75 Wh kg−1 at 0.5 A g−1 in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte compared with 14.75 Wh kg−1 of KAC electrodes. Furthermore, the nKAC still maintained a high energy density of 12.4 Wh kg−1 at 5.0 A g−1 corresponding to a high power density of 4500 W kg−1. This simple and green method has potential applications in the synthesis of porous carbon based on waste biomass for enhancing performance of electrode materials.

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Funding

This work was supported by the general program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21878251). The authors thank the Analysis and Testing Center of Xiamen University for the analysis and observation work in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, 420110, Nigeria

    Chika A. Okonkwo, Chukwunonso C. Okoye & Stephen N. Oba

  2. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, Fujian, China

    Guifang Li, Yawen Li, Tao Lv & Lishan Jia

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  1. Chika A. Okonkwo
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Okonkwo, C.A., Li, G., Li, Y. et al. Liquid nitrogen-controlled direct pyrolysis/KOH activation mediated micro-mesoporous carbon synthesis from castor shell for enhanced performance of supercapacitor electrode. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 13, 3101–3112 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-01356-6

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