Foam-like porous carbons with ultrahigh surface area from petroleum pitch and their supercapacitive performance

Abstract

Foam-like hierarchical porous carbons (FHPCs) were synthesized from petroleum pitch using low-cost Ca(OH)2 as template precursor and in-situ KOH activation. The as-obtained FHPC possesses 3D foam-like architecture, well-developed meso/micropores and an ultrahigh surface area up to 3516 m2 g−1, effectively facilitating electron transfer and ion transport capability. Consequently, FHPC electrode delivers a high capacitance of 320 F g−1 at 0.05 A g−1, a superior rate performance of 82.5% at 40 A g−1, and a good capacitance retention of 95.8% after 10,000 cycles. This work proposes a facile approach to synthesizing porous carbons for high-performance supercapacitors.