Bamboo-templated MOF-67-derived carbon: A high-performance electrode for supercapacitors

Abstract

Carbon-based supercapacitors are highly regarded for their high specific power and long cycle life. However, they often face the challenge of low specific energy and difficulty in simultaneously improving both specific energy and specific power. In this study, a high-performance composite electrode was prepared using the cross-section of bamboo as raw material, followed by KOH activation, in-situ growth of ZIF-67, and carbonization. The bamboo-derived porous carbon showed significant improvement in performance indicators such as specific capacitance and energy density. Electrochemical characterization in a three-electrode system showed that at a current density of 1 mA cm−2, our composite electrode material achieved a peak specific capacitance of 24.7 F cm−2. When assembled into a symmetric supercapacitor, it can provide an energy density of 1.00 mWh cm−2 at a power density of 2.49 mW cm−2. Notably, at a substantial current density of 30 mA cm−2, the electrode maintained a capacitance retention of 96.2 % after 10,000 cycles. These results not only highlight the potential of bamboo-derived porous carbon but also point to a broad avenue for the preparation of energy storage devices by combining MOFs with bamboo.