Porous nanosheets-based carbon aerogel derived from sustainable rattan for supercapacitors application

Abstract

Porous carbon materials with well distributed micro-mesopores from biomass resources for supercapacitors application have attracted considerable attention because of both the environmental issues caused by fossil and its great depletion. A novel porous nanposheets-based carbon aerogel was synthesized by a combined process of complete delignification, carbonization and chemical activation of a sustainable source of rattan. The biomass supramolecular structure changes and carbon formation were technically monitored by spectroscopy and thermochemistry. Based on the metabolic channels and preparation resulted pores, the nanposheets-based carbon aerogel shows a large number of and a wide range of miro-mesopores together with a large specific surface area (2436 m2 g−1). When used as an active material for supercapacitor, such rattan derived hierarchical porous carbon aerogel reveals an inspiring specific capacitance of 221 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and an excellent rate capability of owing 80% capacitance retention at a current density of 20 A g−1. These promising characteristics provide a high-value solution for developing renewable rattan source into an active material for high-performance supercapacitors.