Electrode Materials For Supercapacitors Research Articles

Schiff base polymer doped with MWCNTs as electrode material for supercapacitors

Schiff base polymer doped with MWCNTs as electrode material for supercapacitors

Hierarchical Nb@NbN core-shell-like nanocolumns for asymmetric supercapacitors

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors because of their high electrical conductivity and chemical stability. The rational design and facile synthesis of TMNs electrode materials with a unique nanostructure are the key to develop high-performance supercapacitors. Herein, we propose a two-step, binder-free, and eco-friendly approach utilizing magnetron sputtering at an oblique angle deposition configuration to fabricate hierarchical Nb@NbN core–shell-like nanocolumns for supercapacitors. This distinctive heterostructure not only creates lattice defects, increases active surface area, facilitates ion diffusion and charge transfer, but also optimizes the electronic structure and enhances the conductivity. As a result, the hierarchical Nb@NbN core–shell-like nanocolumn electrodes exhibit a high areal capacitance of 53.3 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 and an excellent capacitance retention of 93.5 % after 20,000 cycles, outperforming pristine NbN and the majority of previously reported TMNs electrodes. Moreover, the assembled Nb@NbN nanocolumns//VN thin films asymmetric supercapacitor device can deliver a maximum energy density of 49.8 mWh cm−3 and power density of 82 W cm−3. This work presents a facile and environmentally friendly strategy for the synthesis of TMNs core–shell-like nanocolumns, and further demonstrates their promising potential for use in supercapacitors.

A review on progress and prospects of diatomaceous earth as a bio-template material for electrochemical energy storage: synthesis, characterization, and applications

AbstractThis comprehensive review explores the remarkable progress and prospects of diatomaceous earth (DE) as a bio-template material for synthesizing electrode materials tailored explicitly for supercapacitor and battery applications. The unique structures within DE, including its mesoporous nature and high surface area, have positioned it as a pivotal material in energy storage. The mesoporous framework of DE, often defined by pores with diameters between 2 and 50 nm, provides a substantial surface area, a fundamental element for charge storage, and transfer in electrochemical energy conversion and storage. Its bio-templating capabilities have ushered in the creation of highly efficient electrode materials. Moreover, the role of DE in enhancing ion accessibility has made it an excellent choice for high-power applications. As we gaze toward the future, the prospects of DE as a bio-template material for supercapacitor and battery electrode material appear exceptionally promising. Customized material synthesis, scalability challenges, multidisciplinary collaborations, and sustainable initiatives are emerging as key areas of interest. The natural abundance and eco-friendly attributes of DE align with the growing emphasis on sustainability in energy solutions, and its contribution to electrode material synthesis for supercapacitors and batteries presents an exciting avenue to evolve energy storage technologies. Its intricate structures and bio-templating capabilities offer a compelling path for advancing sustainable, high-performance energy storage solutions, marking a significant step toward a greener and more efficient future. Graphical Abstract

Redox-mediated synthesis of Cu2O/CuO/Mn3O4/C quaternary nanocomposites as an efficient electrode material for oxygen reduction reaction and supercapacitor application

Earth-abundant transition metal oxides (TMOs) hold significant promise as electroactive materials in various electrochemical energy conversion and storage applications, offering economic and environmental advantages over their less abundant counterparts. In this work, a simple and cost-effective redox-mediated reaction strategy under hydrothermal conditions has been adopted to synthesize the quaternary nanocomposites Cu2O/CuO/Mn3O4/C with variable amounts of carbon. The synthesized nanocomposites have been characterized using various analysis techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The synthesized COM5 nanocomposite (Cu2O/CuO/Mn3O4/C-50), when used as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), demonstrates a good limiting current density (JL), half-wave potential (E1/2), and onset potential (Eonset) of −5.50 mA/cm2, 0.75 V, and 0.95 V, respectively, as per the polarization curve. The COM5 nanocomposite exhibits a four-electron transfer mechanism, calculated using the Koutecky-Levich (K-L) equation. In an O2-saturated 0.1M KOH solution, the COM5 nanocomposite has shown a superior relative current durability of 84.46% over 14,000 s compared to the commercially available 10 wt% Pt/C, indicating its potential application in the ORR. However, for supercapacitor applications, the COM3 nanocomposite (Cu2O/CuO/Mn3O4/C-20) as active electrode material in galvanic charge-discharge (GCD) study shows superior performance (201 F/g at 1 A/g) compared to the COM2 nanocomposite (117 F/g at 1 A/g) in neutral aqueous electrolyte, possibly due to the lower charge transfer resistance (Rct) of 24.04 Ω compared to COM2 (34.63 Ω). In two-electrode studies, the COM3 nanocomposite exhibits a good energy density of 24.19 Wh/kg at 1 A/g and a 4.7 kW/kg power density at 5 A/g. Additionally, the COM3 nanocomposite shows excellent long-term durability (74% capacitance retention) at the current density of 5 A/g for 8000 cycles. The electrochemical findings indicate that the COM3 nanocomposite stands out as a superior electrode material for supercapacitors, while the COM5 nanocomposite proves to be an effective electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Molecular-Level Pore Tuning in 2D Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks for Advanced Supercapacitor Performance.

Two-dimensional (2D) electrically conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as viable candidates for active electrode materials in supercapacitors due to their high electrical conductivity, high specific surface area, and intrinsic redox-active sites. Despite their promising electrochemical performance, their pseudocapacitive behavior via fast and reversible charge transfer reactions remains yet to be fully exploited. Here, we investigate the electrochemical energy storage mechanism of Cu3(HHTATP)2 (HHTATP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxy-1,5,9-triaminotriphenylene), a 2D conductive MOF featuring characteristic redox-active pendant aromatic amines. Cu3(HHTATP)2 exhibited pseudocapacitive charge storage with an average gravimetric capacitance of 340 ± 15 F g-1 at a discharge rate of 0.2 A g-1 and maintained a capacitance retention over 90% after 7000 galvanostatic cycles at 5 A g-1. The polar pendant amines not only enhanced capacitance via additional amine/imine redox activity but also reduced interfacial charge transfer resistance through modified electrode-electrolyte interactions. These results highlight the potential of molecular-level pore environment tuning as a strategic approach in materials design for energy storage applications.

Graphene wrapped porous polyaniline/manganese oxide nanocomposites with enhanced structural stability and conductivity for high‐performance symmetric supercapacitor

AbstractManganese oxides have emerged as promising electrode materials for supercapacitors. Despite extensive efforts to improve their conductivity and structural stability through various manganese oxide/conductor nanocomposites, achieving efficient and reliable energy storage electrode materials has remained challenging. In this study, we propose a meticulous “dual enhancement” strategy, where three‐dimensional (3D) nanostructured polyaniline/manganese oxide composites (PM) are synthesized via an in situ method and further integrated with graphene wrapping to form polyaniline/manganese oxide/graphene nanocomposites (PMG). Electrochemical characterization reveals that PMG exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of up to 403 F g−1 (at 1 A g−1), with a favorable capacitance retention of 80.2% after 5000 cycles, along with a wide potential window. This enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effects of polyaniline, which provides a supportive framework and electron transport pathways, and graphene, which offers external protection and enhances conductivity pathways. Assembled symmetrical supercapacitors demonstrate outstanding energy density (32.7–23.3 Wh kg−1) and power density (720–4500 W kg−1) at a high operating voltage of 1.8 V, surpassing the performance of many reported high‐performance supercapacitors. This study provides valuable insights for advancing manganese oxide electrode materials and is expected to catalyze their widespread adoption in energy storage applications.Highlights “Dual enhancement” is implemented by PANI supporting and rGO wrapping. The conductivity and structural stability of composite electrode is greatly enhanced. Improved capacitance (403 F g−1, 1 A g−1) and cycling stability (80.2%) is achieved. The symmetrical supercapacitor has high voltage and energy density (32.7 Wh kg−1).

Upcycling Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate to Produce Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon for Enhanced Capacitive Deionization

Porous carbon with a high surface area and controllable pore size is needed for energy storage. It is still a significant challenge to produce porous carbon in an economical way. Nitrogen-doped porous carbon (N-PC) was prepared through carbonization of a mixture of waste PET-derived metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and ammonium. The obtained N-PC exhibits a large surface area and controlled pore size. When utilized as an electrode material for supercapacitors, the N-PC exhibits a specific capacitance of 224 F g−1, significantly surpassing that of commercial activated carbon (AC), which has a capacitance of 111 F g−1. In the subsequent capacitive deionization (CDI) tests, the N-PC demonstrated a maximum salt adsorption capacity of 19.9 mg g−1 at 1.2 V in a NaCl electrolyte (0.5 g L−1), and the salt adsorption capacity increased to 24.7 mg g−1 at 1.4 V. The N-PC electrode also exhibited superior regeneration. The present work not only presents a potential approach to develop cost-effective electrodes for seawater purification but also paves the way for recycling of waste plastics into high value-added products.

V2O5-MnO2 nanocomposites as an efficient electrode material for high-performance aqueous supercapacitors

Redox-active supercapacitors are very interesting due to their high energy density (>25 Wh kg−1 at device level) and redox charge storage mechanism. In this work, V2O5-MnO2 nanocomposites are synthesized by a scalable hydrothermal approach. MnO2 in V2O5 provides better structural stability with reasonable electrochemical performance, in which V2O5 enhances the cyclic stability and rate capabilities. The V2O5-MnO2 -based electrodes deliver a specific capacitance of 266 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and are stable up to 6500 cycles with 97 % capacitance retention at 5 A g−1. The kinetic study depicts that composite electrodes have a 64 % diffusive and 36 % capacitive charge storage contribution to the overall charge storage at 1 mV s−1. In symmetric full cells, the composite materials show a wide active potential window of 2.5 V and retain 83 % capacitance after 10000 continuous GCD cycles at an applied current density of 2 A g−1. The promising charge storage performance is due to a suitable conducting matrix and the effective coating of MnO2 nanoparticles over the unique V2O5 niddle shape (two-dimensional) micro-rods.

Acid-treated waste sisal fiber derived activated carbon as efficient electrode material for solid-state supercapacitor

Activated Carbon (AC), obtained from biomass is highly adaptable and valued for its versatile benefits including high surface area, conductivity, chemical inertness, etc. in various applications. It is also used as an electrode in supercapacitors for applications requiring a high-power supply. Sisal fiber, derived from the Agave sisalana plant, has several advantages, including its fibrous and porous framework, that make it suitable for conversion into activated carbon for energy storage applications in the context of sustainability and reduced environmental impact. In this study, we have prepared H2SO4 treated KOH activated carbon from residual Sisal fiber (SFH2AC) which is then utilized as an electrode material for supercapacitors. SFH2AC exhibits hierarchical and structure-based porosity with a large specific surface area (SA) of 1185 m2/g and shows the maximum specific capacitance (Cs) of 340 F/g @ 0.5 A/g in 6 M KOH electrolyte. In KOH electrolyte, strong cycling retention (during the length of 9000 GCD cycles) is attained as; 98 % up to the first 3000 cycles at 10 A/g, 93 % up to next 3000 cycles at 20 A/g, and 90 % up to the last 3000 cycles at 30 A/g. Furthermore, the SFH2AC//SFH2AC(Gel) device was built by using SFH2AC as electrodes with PVA/KOH gel as an electrolyte in order to assess the supercapacitor performance in real time. The device has a specific power density of 7500 W/kg and a maximum energy density of 12 W h/kg. The device reveals an exceptional 97 % cycling stability, maintaining up to 9000 repeated GCD cycles at an increased current density (CD) of 30 A/g.

Synergistic effect of hydrothermally synthesized rGO@CuPbTiO3 electrode materials for high performance supercapacitors

Herein, CuPbTiO3 and rGO@CuPbTiO3 nanocomposites were hydrothermally synthesized and their electrochemical and physiochemical properties were examined. Electrochemical investigations demonstrated that rGO@CuPbTiO3 exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 1250F.g−1 at a current density of 1 A.g-1. Furthermore, for three different electrode configurations, outcomes revealed a minimum ohmic resistance of 1.25 Ω. In addition, the GCD experiment confirmed a cyclic stability of 88 % after 12,000 charge/discharge cycles at 1 A.g−1. Therefore, rGO@CuPbTiO3 electrode material may be explored as a potential candidate for use in supercapacitor applications.

Solid-state synthesis of nickel selenide for high-performance supercapacitors

This study focuses on the synthesis and electrochemical characterization of nickel diselenide (NiSe2) as a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. NiSe2 was synthesized through a facile solid-state process involving the mixing of nickel acetylacetonate and selenous acid, followed by drying and sintering at 500 °C under inert conditions. The resulting NiSe2 exhibited a granular structure with worm-like surface architecture and particle size ranging from 20 to 100 nm. The electrochemical performance of NiSe2 was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a 6 M KOH electrolyte. NiSe2 demonstrated a high specific capacitance of 744.7 F g−1 at a discharge rate of 1 A g−1, with an outstanding rate capability retaining the capacitance of 483.6 F g−1 at 10 A g−1, and exceptional long-term cycling stability. The kinetic analysis revealed that the energy storage mechanism in NiSe2 primarily involves diffusion-controlled charge storage. EIS further confirmed the favorable charge transfer properties of the NiSe2 electrode. Overall, NiSe2 synthesized via the proposed method shows great promise for application in high-performance supercapacitors.

Trichosanthes cucumerina derived activated carbon: the potential electrode material for high energy symmetric supercapacitor

High surface area porous activated carbons obtained from sustainable biomass are excellent functional materials for energy storage applications. This is the first report on snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina) pericarp as a raw material of activated carbon and supercapacitor electrode material. Herein, a simple KOH activation and carbonisation method is used. The obtained SGC900 sample has a surface area of 1841 m2/g and an average pore volume of 0.52 cm3/g. SGC900 based supercapacitor exhibits good electrochemical storage capacity in 1 M H2SO4with a specific capacitance of 206 F/g at 1 A/g. The symmetric device delivered an energy density of 11 Wh/kg at a power density of 1.6 kW/kg. It provides a series resistance (Rs) of 1.2 Ω and a charge transfer resistance Rct of 1.9 Ω. Furthermore, the device retains 95% of capacitance over 5000 cycles. This work presents an easy and feasible approach for producing value‐added activated carbon from sustainable biomass, potentially used in high‐performance energy storage.

Development and Performance of a PANI@NiMnO3 Nanocomposite for Enhanced Supercapacitors and Photocatalytic Applications.

Conductive polymers are gaining considerable attention as a potential material for supercapacitor electrodes due to their favorable properties. Among these, polyaniline (PANI) stands out as a cost-effective and easy to synthesize, making it a promising candidate for improving energy storage applications. This study presents the synthesis of a hybrid composite consisting of PANI and NiMnO3 (NMO) perovskite using the chemical oxidative polymerization method. The morphology and structure of the composite were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. XRD results showed that the addition of NMO transformed the amorphous structure of PANI into a semicrystalline form, leading to enhanced conductivity. SEM images revealed a more uniform and compact structure, with NMO distributed unevenly within the polymer matrix. Optical analysis indicated that a reduction in the band gap of PANI@NMO reached 2.5 eV. N2 adsorption-desorption measurements confirmed an increase in the surface area and pore volume. The photocatalytic activity of the PANI@NMO nanocomposite was tested by degrading methylene blue (MB) dye under UV/visible light. The nanocomposite showed high efficiency, degrading 87.75% of MB dye after 125 min of irradiation as compared to their counter parts. Additionally, electrochemical tests demonstrated an improved electrochemical performance of the composite due to enhanced crystallinity, increased surface area, and reduced electron-hole recombination rate. These results suggest that the PANI@NMO nanocomposite has great potential for use in supercapacitors and photocatalysis.

Unraveling the Electrochemical Insights of Cobalt Oxide/Conducting Polymer Hybrid Materials for Supercapacitor, Battery, and Supercapattery Applications.

This review article focuses on the potential of cobalt oxide composites with conducting polymers, particularly polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANI), as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors, batteries, and supercapatteries. Cobalt oxide, known for its high theoretical capacitance, is limited by poor conductivity and structural degradation during cycling. However, the integration of PPy and PANI has been proven to enhance the electrochemical performance through improved conductivity, increased pseudocapacitive effects, and enhanced structural integrity. This synergistic combination facilitates efficient charge transport and ion diffusion, resulting in improved cycling stability and energy storage capacity. Despite significant progress in synthesis techniques and composite design, challenges such as maintaining structural stability during prolonged cycling and scalability for mass production remain. This review highlights the synthesis methods, latest advancements, and electrochemical performance in cobalt oxide/PPy and cobalt oxide/PANI composites, emphasizing their potential to contribute to the development of next-generation energy storage devices. Further exploration into their application, especially in battery systems, is necessary to fully harness their capabilities and meet the increasing demands of energy storage technologies.

Innovative Core–Shell Tubular Structure in Polymer/Manganese–Nickel Oxide/Carbon Nanotube Blends for Electrochemical Components

ABSTRACTTo address the issue of electrochemical performance degradation resulting from redox reactions during the charging and discharging of supercapacitors, we introduced a novel electrode material featuring a core–shell attachment structure (PANI@(MnO2 + NiO)) with the incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The introduction of CNT on top of the core–shell structure by a simple chemical synthesis method helps to improve the double‐layer capacitance and Faraday capacitance of the composite. Thus, multiple synergistic effects can be produced to improve charge storage capacity. The morphology structure and electrochemical properties of PANI@(MnO2 + NiO)@CNT were analyzed. In a three‐electrode configuration, the specific capacitance of the composite is 327 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. Remarkably, the capacitance retention rate exceeded 75% after 5000 charge–discharge cycles. Calculations indicate that in a supercapacitor employing a 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte, the composite demonstrated energy and power densities of 48.1 W h kg−1 and 999.9 W kg−1, respectively. This kind of core–shell structural composites achieved electrochemical properties in line with expectations through a simple chemical synthesis method. As a practical application of supercapacitor electrode materials, PANI@(MnO2 + NiO)@CNT have better electrical properties than similar materials and have broad application prospects in industrial production.

A highly capacitive Graphene/Multiholed N‐CNTs hybrid evolved from black humate‐Co‐melamine precursor

Black humic acid (BA) is a black mixture of organic macromolecules isolated from humic acid, which has a greater potential for graphene transformation than fulvic acid and ulmic acid because of more and larger aromatic units and higher molecular weights exceeding 5000 Dalton. Here, chemically bonded BA‐Co‐Melamine precursors are initially constructed using different BA fractions as substrate, Co2+ as bridge bond and melamine as ligand. A series of Graphene/N‐CNTs hybrids (GNCs) is eventually synthesized after the precursor pyrolysis. Resultantly, Fraction Ⅰ, separated at a pH value of 4.16, plays a significant role on constructing the BA‐Co‐Melamine precursor and further producing multiholed GNCs. Due to abundant CNTs, rich mesopores, moderate nitrogen incorporation and a certain graphitized assembly structure, the prepared GNC‐Ⅰ‐b has high capacitance performances. The assembled AC//GNC‐Ⅰ‐b supercapacitor has high specific capacitance (147 F g‐1 at 0.5 A g‐1), rate capability, cycling stability and energy density (16.8 Wh kg‐1 at 14.4 KW kg‐1). The 2032 coin‐type Li//GNC‐Ⅰ‐b half‐cell has high initial discharge capacity (759 mAh g‐1 at 0.03 A g‐1), initial Coulombic efficiency (81.8%), rate performance and cycling stability. Hence, the GNC is a favorable high‐performance carbon material hopefully applied as electrode materials of supercapacitors and LIBs.

Enhanced energy storage efficiency of an innovative three-dimensional nickel cobalt metal organic framework nanocubes with molybdenum disulphide electrode material as a battery-like supercapacitor

Recently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with transition metal sulfides have gained much attention as electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs). In this work, 3D-NCMOF@MS NCs, incorporating two-dimensional molybdenum disulphide (2D-MS) nanosheets and three-dimensional nickel cobalt-MOF nanocubes (3D-NCMOF NCs) are synthesized by a solvothermal and precipitation process. Owing to their enhanced electrical conductivity and huge surface area, the 3D-NCMOF@MS NCs produce superior electrochemical responses in SCs compared to 2D-MS and 3D-NCMOF NCs. The results demonstrate that the synergistic 3D-NCMOF@MS NCs increased specific capacitance up to 1048 Fg−1 at 1 Ag−1, revealing outstanding cycle stability with a capacitance retention of 99.06 %. Besides, the exposed high-power density of 3D-NCMOF@MS NCs reached 400 W kg−1 as well as an outstanding maximum energy density of 188.64 Wh kg−1. Such synergistic effects of the multivalent states of Ni, Co, and Mo promote electrochemical characteristics, implying that the 3D-NCMOF@MS NCs could potentially be used in energy storage systems, boosting electrochemical performance.

Physical and electrochemical performance of Mn-doped zinc oxide electrode material for asymmetric supercapacitor

Manganese-doped zinc oxide has emerged as a promising material for high-performance supercapacitors (SCs) due to its enhanced electrochemical properties, including improved charge storage capacity and cycling stability. Pristine Zinc oxide (ZO) and Manganese (Mn) doped (2 wt % and 4 wt %) zinc oxide (hereby labeled: ZO, 2MZO, and 4MZO) derivatives have been synthesized via an aqueous sol-gel-based co-precipitation method. The physical characterizations of synthesized samples have been performed using TGA, XRD, FESEM, and BET. The XRD has confirmed the phase pure hexagonal wurtzite structure synthesis of ZO, 2MZO, and 4MZO samples. The FE-SEM images revealed that synthesized material had shown the mixed morphology as polyhedral particles, rods, and flakes in the nano region. Mn-doped has increased specific surface by 132 % compared to bare ZO. The electrochemical characterization techniques, including CV, GCD, and EIS, have been used to access electrochemical parameters using an aqueous 4 M KOH electrolyte. A detailed CV analysis was also carried out to investigate the capacitive contribution of the material in cycling. The electrochemical characterization techniques (CV, GCD, and EIS) have been performed to access electrochemical parameters using an aqueous 4 M KOH electrolyte. The 4MZO electrode material has shown an enhancement in specific capacitance (164.28 Fg-1) compared to pristine ZO (42.83 Fg-1). The EIS study revealed that the 4MZO has the lowest internal impedance 0.30 Ω compared to 0.70 Ω, and 2.60 Ω for 2MZO and ZO, respectively.

Bay-substituted Perylene diimides (PDIs) as redox mediators in dye-sensitized solar cells and active electrode material in supercapacitors

In recent years, innovations in materials design have improved the optoelectronic properties of advanced materials and facilitated their efficient utilization. A significant amount of research has been conducted on developing perylene diimide (PDI) dyes for their use in various energy-related applications. In the present work, we have synthesized bay-substituted PDI derivatives and explored their dual applications in energy harvesting and storage devices. The nucleophilic substitution reaction of 1,7/1,6-brominated Val-PDI was performed by using 2-naphthol (N) and its Nitrogen analogue 8-hydroxy quinoline (Q) for analysing the effect of N-heterocycle at the bay position. The prepared 1,7 (N1/Q1) and 1,6 (N2/Q2) PDIs underwent thorough photophysical and electrochemical analyses and their structures were optimized through density functional theory (DFT) using B3LYP approach with a 6-31+G (d,p) basis set. Although all the prepared bay-substituted PDIs showed reasonable redox activity, N1 was chosen as an electrolyte dopant in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) owing to its band alignment. This aided in enhanced electron lifetime and charge transfer properties, which led to an enhanced efficiency of 2.04 % while the conventional DSSC delivered only 1.84 % at 200 W m−2 illumination. Additionally, the symmetrical supercapacitor fabricated by using Q1 as electrode material generated a high specific capacitance of 146.54 F g−1. Thus, the proposed work opens avenues for the utility of bay-substituted PDI derivatives for organic electronic applications.

Effect of puffing on electrochemical properties of sorghum seed based porous carbon materials in supercapacitors

Biomass-based carbon materials are renewable, affordable and environmentally friendly, possessing great potential in electrochemical energy storage as electrode materials in supercapacitors due to their large specific surface area and self-doped heteroatoms. However, the electrochemical properties of these carbon materials may be influenced to some extent by pretreatment procedures of carbon precursors. For this research, a range of porous carbon materials based on unpuffed and puffed sorghum seeds were synthesized under various pre‑carbonization and activation temperatures. Among them, the puffed sorghum seed-based porous carbon (PH-R6A7), prepared through pre‑carbonization at 600 °C and KOH activation at 700 °C, exhibits a higher graphitization degree, increased N and O content, as well as a greater variety of nitrogen-containing groups and significant increasing graphite nitrogen compared to unpuffed sorghum seed-based porous carbon (PC-R6A7) fabricated under similar conditions. These improvements result in enhanced conductivity and wettability of electrode materials, thereby boosting their electrochemical properties. In a three-electrode setup employing a 6 M solution of KOH, PH-R6A7 demonstrates an exceptional specific capacitance of 523.84 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 compared with PC-R6A7 of 366.00 F g−1; even at a high current density of 20 A g−1 it maintains a high level of capacitance at 387.94 F g−1. When employed in a double-electrode configuration at the same current density (i.e., 1 A g−1), PH-R6A7 also achieves higher specific capacitance of 357.83 F g−1 than PC-R6A7 (286.89 F g−1), accompanied by an increased energy density of 12.35 Wh kg−1 and 8.85 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 249.97 W kg−1 and 4.98 kW kg−1, respectively. Furthermore, after undergoing 10,000 cycles at 2 A g−1, PH-R6A7 demonstrates a superior capacitance retention of 99.68 % and coulomb efficiency of 99.91 %. PH-R6A7 fabricated through the combination method of puffing pretreatment and carbonization activation merits acknowledgment as an electrode material of superior performance and notable practical importance.