Porous Carbon Networks Research Articles

The collaborative effect of Ni3S2-NiO heterojunction and porous carbon network modified lithium-sulfur battery separator for effectively inhibiting polysulfides shuttle

As an important part of lithium-sulfur battery (LSB), separator not only provides ion transport channel but also plays a key role in ensuring battery safety. However, the aperture of the commercial separator polypropylene (PP) is relatively large, which cannot effectively inhibit the migration of polysulfides generated during the charging and discharging process between the positive and negative electrodes, resulting in a decrease in the cycle stability of LSB. In this work, a modified LSB separator Ni3S2-NiO@AC-4@PP is designed, which is anchored by Ni3S2-NiO heterojunction on volcanic rock-like three-dimensional porous carbon network (AC) as the functional interlayer. The AC possesses a large specific surface area and excellent electrical conductivity, creating sufficient space for the physical and chemical adsorption of insoluble polysulfides. The Ni3S2-NiO heterojunction is embedded and attached to the AC, which helps to hinder the diffusion of polysulfides and accelerate the redox reaction. It is also confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation that Ni3S2-NiO heterojunction inhibited the shuttle of polysulfides through the adsorption capacity of NiO and the catalytic activity of Ni3S2. Thus, the Ni3S2-NiO@AC-4@PP battery exhibits an elevated initial specific capacity of 1027.8 mAh g−1 at 0.2C, maintaining long-term stability after 200 cycles with the capacity retention rate of 81.4 %. At the higher current density (2C), Ni3S2-NiO@AC@PP battery demonstrates durable cycle with the capacity retention rate of 91.3 %. This study proposes a new feasible strategy to obtain high-performance, low-cost modified separators by designing functional interlayers with excellent adsorption and catalytic properties.

Layered Porous Ring-Like Carbon Network Protected FeNi Metal Atomic Pairs for Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysis and Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries.

Bimetallic atom catalysts exhibit ultra-high oxygen electrocatalytic activity by harnessing mutual promotion and synergistic effects between adjacent metal active centers, surpassing the performance of single metal atomic catalysts. Herein, FeNi atom pairs protected by hierarchical porous annular carbon grids (P-FeNi-NPC) are introduced using a mediator-assisted MOFs-derived strategy. The introduction of the multi-block copolymer P123 ensures the uniform confinement and dispersion of metal ions, followed by thermal decomposition to form a "planetary-ring-like" carbon framework that anchors the bimetallic atomic pairs in the active region. The homogeneous distribution of adjacent Fe-N4 and Ni-N4 active sites significantly enhances catalytic activity and stability. Leveraging unique electronic and geometric structures, the resulting P-FeNi-NPC catalyst demonstrates exceptional ORR and OER activities with an ΔE value of 0.705 (E1/2 = 0.845V, Ej = 10 = 1.55V). Theoretical calculations unveil that FeNi bimetallic sites loaded on nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks with specific curvature effectively modulate the energy of d-band centers, thus balancing the free energy of oxygen-containing intermediates. This study presents a novel and versatile approach for synthesizing advanced bifunctional catalysts, poised to drive the future development of Zn-air batteries.

Ferrocene-Modified Polyacrylonitrile-Containing Block Copolymers as Preceramic Materials.

In the pursuit of fabricating functional ceramic nanostructures, the design of preceramic functional polymers has garnered significant interest. With their easily adaptable chemical composition, molecular structure, and processing versatility, these polymers hold immense potential in this field. Our study succeeded in focusing on synthesizing ferrocene-containing block copolymers (BCPs) based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The synthesis is accomplished via different poly(acrylonitrile-block-methacrylate)s via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and activators regenerated by electron transfer ATRP (ARGET ATRP) for the PAN macroinitiators. The molecular weights of the BCPs range from 44 to 82 kDa with dispersities between 1.19 and 1.5 as determined by SEC measurements. The volume fraction of the PMMA block ranges from 0.16 to 0.75 as determined by NMR. The post-modification of the BCPs using 3-ferrocenyl propylamine has led to the creation of redox-responsive preceramic polymers. The thermal stabilization of the polymer film has resulted in stabilized morphologies based on the oxidative PAN chemistry. The final pyrolysis of the sacrificial block segment and conversion of the metallopolymer has led to the formation of a porous carbon network with an iron oxide functionalized surface, investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray mapping (EDX), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). These findings could have significant implications in various applications, demonstrating the practical value of our research in convenient ceramic material design.

P-band regulation guides the free-standing porous carbon electrode for efficient Na-CO2 batteries

The Na-CO2 batteries with low-cost resources and high energy density have attracted huge attention in Mars and deep ocean exploration, but the slow CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) and CO2 evolution reaction (CO2ER) kinetics severely limit their practical application. Developing free-standing cathodes and understanding the relationship between the catalyst's active center and activity are essential to address long-standing challenges. This manuscript explores the promising metal-free porous carbon as a catalyst. The porous carbon network vertically grows on the surface of free-standing carbon paper to maximum exposure to the active site and optimization of electron/electrolyte transfer. Moreover, the active center of the carbon catalyst is optimized by introducing nitrogen or sulfur hetero-atom to regulate the p-band center, which steers the orbital hybridization and accelerates CO2RR and CO2ER kinetics The p-band optimized free-standing porous carbon electrode shows outstanding cycling of 1000 h with a small voltage gap of 1.04 V and a large energy efficiency of 71.2 % at 10 uA cm−2. This study provides a new strategy for designing and fabricating p-band guided free-standing electrodes aiming at high-performance and wearable Na-CO2 batteries.

Taming the anchor and conversion of polyselenides with a self-reinforcing host in lithium–selenium batteries

Energy-dense lithium–selenium (Li–Se) batteries have attracted increasing attention, while their practical application is still hindered, highly relating to the volume expansion and shuttle of Li polyselenides (LiPSes). Herein, a concurrent anchoring/converting strategy is proposed to restrain the dissolution and realize the rapid conversion of LiPSes. A prototypical regulator comprises of polar catalysts embedded in the interconnected porous muti-walled carbon network (i.e., CoSnO3 nanocubes/CNTs), which promises fast electron/ion transportation and inhibits volumetric effect. Moreover, CoSnO3 as redox accelerator enables the stretched Se−Se bonds to decrease the LiPSes bidirectional conversion barrier, achieving accelerated reaction kinetics. Consequently, the self-reinforcing optimized cathode exhibits superior initial capacity of 730 mAh/g, greatly enlarged capacity after 200 cycles (increase by ∼ 32 % than that of the cell with CNTs), and superior rate capacity (153 mAh/g at 2C). This work uncovers the roles of electronic/ionic conductivity and adsorption/catalysis in Li–Se batteries, providing a guidance for taming the utilization and kinetics of cathode from material perspectives.

A three-dimensional Ge@C anode with a hollow and micro/nano structure for high-capacity lithium-ion battery

Aiming at the key issues of low intrinsic conductivity and large volume expansion during the cycling existed in high-capacity Ge anode material system, a micro/nano structured Ge@C hybrid material was designed and prepared through a facile and controllable method. The as-prepared micron conductive cage with a dodecahedral structure is composed of interconnected ultra-thin walled Ge nanotubes encapsulated in the porous N-containing carbon network, which can not only reserve more buffer space for the volume expansion of Ge and assist in building a stable SEI film during the cycling, improves the conductivity and stability of the material, but also provide a rich and penetrating channel for the transmission of ions, realizing high dynamics. When applied to the anode of lithium-ion battery, the three-dimensional micro/nano structured germanium-based hybrid material (Ge-3D@C) delivers a high initial specific capacity of 1500 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1, and after 350 cycles, it can still maintain a high reversible specific capacity of 1147 mAh g−1. Even at high current densities of 1 A g−1 and 2 A g−1, high reversible specific capacities of 752 and 631 mAh g−1 can still be obtained. Importantly, the rational design can be used to prepare Ge hybrids doped with other metals or metal oxides, as well as different structures, by adjusting the layer materials and the types of germanates, so as to adapt to different application environments.

Multiscale structural engineering of Co0.85Se@porous carbon composite enables highly reversible lithium/sodium storage

Cobalt selenide (Co0.85Se) has been regarded as the most potential anode material for both lithium/sodium ion batteries (LIBs and SIBs) due to its high specific capacity and excellent pseudocapacitive effect. However, the inevitable volume expansion during conversion reaction and grievous dissolution of Se in electrolytes seriously undermine its reversibility and cycling stability. Combining the transition-metal chalcogenides with stable porous carbon networks is considered as one of the most effective strategies to improve electrochemical stability and conductivity of transition-metal chalcogenides. Here, we proposed a multiscale structural engineering strategy to encapsulate selenide nanoparticles in N-doped porous carbon to enable high-performance Co0.85Se@porous carbon composite for highly reversible lithium/sodium storage. Specifically, the Co0.85Se nanoparticles are tightly anchored to carbon network through substantial SeC bond, which effectively buffer volume expansion and inhibit the dissolution of Se in electrolytes. Additionally, the carbon pores with multilevel size help achieving the fast ions diffusion. The unique structure enables the Co0.85Se composite anode to exhibit excellent discharge capacities of 955.1 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles, 305.6 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 of full cells after 550 cycles in LIBs and 491.3 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles in SIBs.

Self‐Sacrificial Template Synthesis of Fe‐N‐C Catalysts with Dense Active Sites Deposited on A Porous Carbon Network for High Performance in PEMFC

AbstractIron‐nitrogen‐carbon (Fe‐N‐C) single‐atom catalysts are promising sustainable alternatives to the costly and scarce platinum (Pt) to catalyze the oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) at the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, Fe‐N‐C cathodes for PEMFC are made thicker than Pt/C ones, in order to compensate for the lower intrinsic ORR activity and site density of Fe‐N‐C materials. The thick electrodes are bound with mass transport issues that limit their performance at high current densities, especially in H2/air PEMFCs. Practical Fe‐N‐C electrodes must combine high intrinsic ORR activity, high site density, and fast mass transport. Herein, it has achieved an improved combination of these properties with a Fe‐N‐C catalyst prepared via a two‐step synthesis approach, constructing first a porous zinc‐nitrogen‐carbon (Zn‐N‐C) substrate, followed by transmetallating Zn by Fe via chemical vapor deposition. A cathode comprising this Fe‐N‐C catalyst has exhibited a maximum power density of 0.53 W cm−2 in H2/air PEMFC at 80 °C. The improved power density is associated with the hierarchical porosity of the Zn‐N‐C substrate of this work, which is achieved by epitaxial growth of ZIF‐8 onto g‐C3N4, leading to a micro‐mesoporous substrate.

A close-packed sphere model for characterising porous networks in atomistic simulations and its application in energy storage and conversion

Hierarchical (micro, meso & macro) porosity in materials plays a crucial role in influencing the movement of ions which governs the energy and power density during energy storage and conversion. The extant available methods to characterise porosity across scales (nano to meso to macro) lacks rigour and accuracy. Having accurate assessment of the porosity in materials can unlock new designs of electrodes for energy efficient energy storage and conversion devices such as batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells. Through this work, we report the systematic development of a method to fully characterise the carbon porous networks using a molecular dynamics simulation testbed. Our work entails modelling and simulation of porous carbon structures using quenched molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations using Gaussian Approximation potential (GAP) and benchmarking the results with prior literature. This modelling technique can reliably be used for quantitative characterisation of the interconnectivity in porous structures to study ionic movements and charge transfer mechanisms. A new parameter, namely nearest neighbour search (NNS) coefficient was introduced to quantify homogeneity and networking in the porous structures. NNS coefficient increased from 1.62 to 1.92 with decrease of the annealing temperature from 8000 K to 4000 K in carbon. The procedure outlined was although tested on porous carbon networks, but adaptable to study any other material system at multi-length scales.

Synthesis of cobalt selenide composite material: A novel platform of the electrochemical sensor for sensitive determination of Upadacitinib

This study investigates the first electrochemical determination of Upadacitinib (UPA), a potent Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor with remarkable efficacy in treating various inflammatory disorders, utilizing a GCE modified with a composite material comprising Co6.8Se8 embedded in porous carbon (Co6.8Se8@NPC). Simultaneously, a novel Co6.8Se8@NPC composite was synthesized using a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-12) via a one-pot synthesis method. The characterizations confirmed that Co6.8Se8@NPC is uniformly dispersed within the porous carbon network. Leveraging the applications of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives, Co6.8Se8@NPC was explored for the determination of UPA. The electrochemical behavior of UPA was systematically investigated using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, upon modifying the GCE with the Co6.8Se8@NPC composite. These materials significantly enhanced sensitivity and selectivity for Upadacitinib detection. Compared with the unmodified electrode, the Co6.8Se8@NPC/GCE exhibited a notable catalytic effect towards the oxidation of UPA, as evidenced by the appearance of an irreversible oxidative peak at a reduced potential and an enhancement in current. The developed method exhibited exceptional performance characteristics with a broad linear range, and low limits of detection and quantification. Moreover, the sensor exhibits good selectivity, repeatability, and stability. Furthermore, the investigation extended to the determination of Upadacitinib in pharmaceutical and biological samples, underscoring the practical applicability of the modified GCE in real-world scenarios.

Ribosome-inspired electrocatalysts inducing preferential nucleation and growth of three-dimensional lithium sulfide for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Nucleation of lithium sulfide (Li2S) induced by electrocatalysts plays a crucial role in mitigating the shuttle effect. However, short-chain polysulfides on electrocatalysts surfaces tend to re-dissolve into electrolytes, delaying Li2S supersaturation and its nucleation. In this study, we draw inspiration from the ribosome-driven protein synthesis process in cells to prepare ultrasmall nitrogen-doped MoS2 nanocrystals anchored on porous nitrogen-doped carbon networks (N-MoS2-NC) electrocatalysts. Excitedly, the ex-situ SEM demonstrates that ribosome-inspired N-MoS2-NC electrocatalysts induce early nucleation and rapid growth of three-dimensional Li2S during discharge. Theoretical calculations reveal that the Li-S bond length in N-MoS2-Li2S(100) is shorter, and the corresponding interfacial formation energy is lower than in MoS2-Li2S(100). This accelerated conversion of lithium polysulfides to Li2S can enhance the utilization of active substances and inhibit the shuttle effect. This study highlights the potential of ribosome-inspired N-MoS2-NC in improving the electrochemical stability of Li-S batteries, providing valuable insights for future electrocatalyst design.

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber loaded MOF-derived NiCo bimetallic nanoparticles accelerate the redox transformation of polysulfide for lithium- sulfur batteries

In the electrochemical study of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the slow kinetics of the sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) leading to severe shuttle effect of polysulfides remains a major challenge. Catalysts with bimetallic nanoparticles have higher adsorption affinity for lithium polysulfides and hold great potential in improving reaction kinetics. In this study, a nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber carrier was prepared using high-voltage electrospinning technology, and through in-situ growth and high-temperature pyrolysis process, the carrier material was uniformly loaded with active sites of NiCo bimetallic nanoparticles derived from Metal-organic framework (MOF), aiming to improve the kinetics of sulfur oxidation and reduction and reduce the severe shuttle effect of soluble polysulfides. At the same time, polymethyl methacrylate was added to adjust the pore structure of the carbon nanofibers to form an ideal independent sulfur cathode porous conductive carbon network for rapid ion transport to prevent Li2S deposition and alleviate the volume change during lithiation/delithiation process. Experimental results show that the synergistic catalytic effect of bimetallic nanoparticles can not only rapidly anchor lithium polysulfides throughout the entire reaction process of Li-S batteries, but also reduce the resistance during the reaction process, accelerating the conversion of lithium polysulfides to Li2S deposition. It demonstrates outstanding electrochemical performance, with a first-cycle discharge specific capacity as high as 1431.7 mAh g−1 at a 0.2 C rate, and a Coulombic efficiency of 96%. After 500 cycles, its capacity still maintains at 628.5 mAh g−1, with a decay rate of only 0.11% per cycle. This study provides a feasible insight into the synergistic catalysis of MOF-derived metal nanoparticles, which has important guiding significance and potential impact on the catalysis of Li-S batteries by bimetallic nanoparticles with an independent sulfur cathode structure, and is expected to accelerate the industrialization process of Li-S batteries.

Engineering the growth and electrochemical assessments of phosphorous-doped nitrogen-based carbon nanofibers with 3D-interconnected weaving network structure for high-energy symmetric supercapacitors

The growing demand for sustainable energy sources has led to a change in attention towards developing cost-effective, high-performance energy storage devices. The construction of porous carbon network nanostructures with high surface area is complex for current-generation supercapacitors, mainly due to molecular flexibility and carbon production constraints. This work successfully produced a porous carbon nanostructure by doping phosphorous into nitrogen-based carbon nanofibers (P-doped NCNFs) utilizing a simple and controllable approach. This process entailed electrospinning diammonium hydrogen phosphate and polyacrylonitrile, subsequent high-temperature carbonization, and substantial segmented hydrogen peroxide activation processes. The P-doped NCNFs had a notable surface area of 100.69 m2 g−1, characterized by a distinct 3D-interconnected weaving network morphology. The 1 % P-doped NCNFs exhibited an exceptionally high capacitance of 265 ± 2 F g−1 when tested in a three-electrode setup at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. In addition, the constructed symmetrical supercapacitors with two identical P-doped NCNFs using a neutral Na2SO4 electrolyte exhibited remarkable electrochemical characteristics, which include a substantial capacitance of 225 ± 2 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1, a high energy density of 30.9 Wh kg−1, an excellent Coulombic efficiency of 98.8 % over 6000 cycles, an impressive power density of 250 W kg−1, and significant capacitance retention of 85.6 %. These findings suggest that P-doped NCNFs could be excellent options for next-generation high-performance supercapacitors.

Controllable construction of a 3D-honeycomb-like porous carbon network as a high-performance cathode for promoting Zn-ion storage capability.

Inheriting the energy storage mechanism of supercapacitors and rechargeable ion batteries, zinc ion capacitors (ZICs) greatly increase their energy density at high power without sacrificing their life span. However, sluggish kinetics and insufficient active sites for Zn2+ storage induced by the significant mismatch of charge carriers with limited pore size hinder the efficient Zn2+ storage and smooth application of carbonaceous cathode materials. Herein, a three-dimensional honeycomb-like porous carbon network (HPCN) was fabricated, which can reduce the diffusion barrier for fast kinetics, produce a high-density defect area, effectively increase active sites for charge storage, and generate a high nitrogen-doping content. Benefiting from these advantages, the optimized ZICs bring out a marvelous energy/power density (130 W h kg-1/11.7 kW kg-1) with an ultrahigh reliable cyclability of 97.8% after 50 000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g-1. Importantly, systematic ex situ characterizations combined with theoretical calculations demonstrate that the outstanding Zn2+ storage capacity is attributed to the synergistic effect of physical co-adsorption of cations and reversible chemisorption. This work presents an attractive strategy for developing advanced carbon cathodes with suitable pores and accelerates the exploration of charge storage mechanisms, which may open a new avenue for practical supercapacitors.

Scalable nanoarchitectonics with microporous polymer composite for methanol-tolerant ORR electrocatalysts

We report an efficient ORR electrocatalyst containing cobalt single atom and cobalt nanoparticle active sites embedded in a porous nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon network.

Boosting the oxygen reduction activity of non-metallic catalysts via geometric and electronic engineering through nitrogen and chlorine dual-doping.

The development of heteroatom dual-doped porous carbon frameworks with uniform doping is highly desirable for achieving highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, due to their tunable chemical and electronic structures. Herein, porous covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) incorporating nitrogen/chorine dual-doped porous carbon networks were fabricated by selecting 1,3-bis(4-cyanophenyl) imidazolium chloride as a building block, in a facile and controllable way via a bottom-up strategy. The resulting nitrogen/chorine dual-doped catalyst CCTF-700 exhibits excellent ORR performance with a more positive onset and half-wave potential (0.85 V vs. RHE), higher diffusion-limited current density and significantly improved stability in comparison with the benchmark commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. It is worth mentioning that CCTF-700 shows one of the best ORR performances among all the reported metal-free electrocatalysts under alkaline conditions. This work paves the way for a controllable and reliable strategy to craft highly efficient heteroatom dual-doped carbon catalysts for energy conversion.

Densely accessible single atom Fe sites dispersed on porous carbon as highly stable and active ORR catalyst for PEMFC

Single-atom Fe–N–C catalysts have received ever-growing interest in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) application for their utmost atomic utilization in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, developing atomically dispersed Fe–N–C catalysts with both satisfactory activity and excellent stability presents great challenges. Herein, a template-activator combined strategy is developed to construct ORR catalysts with densely accessible single-atom Fe sites dispersed on hierarchically porous carbon networks. The optimized catalyst exhibits excellent oxygen reduction activity with a half-wave potential of 0.84 V and surprising stability with 93.6% retention of the initial current density after 24 hours of chronoamperometric test in acidic media. Notably, when assembled in a H2–O2 fuel cell, it shows remarkable long-term durability with only 16% loss in current density during the first 10 hours.

P-doped NiS2/Ni nanoheteroparticles embedded into N-doped carbon framework anchored on multi-walled carbon nanotubes as an efficient counter electrode for Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells

Designing of inexpensive counter electrode (CE) material with robust electrochemical properties and perfect electrical conductivity is of great essential to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Herein, the catalytic nickel nanoparticles are in-situ embedded into nitrogen-doped carbon framework (Ni-NC) by high-temperature carbonization. Next, the formed Ni-NC hybrid is subjected to simultaneous sulfurization/phosphorization treatment in the N2 atmosphere to acquire P–NiS2/Ni-NC. Finally, the acquired P–NiS2/Ni-NC hybrid is anchored on functional carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by ultrasonication to obtain P–NiS2/Ni-NC@MWCNTs. According to the electrochemical results, the P–NiS₂/Ni-NC@MWCNTs CE displays remarkable catalytic activities, great electron transfer ability, and high stability in the iodine/iodide electrolyte. DSSC assembled with P–NiS2/Ni-NC@MWCNTs CE yields an impressive PCE of 9.57 %, surpassing those of platinum (Pt) electrode (PCE = 7.84 %) and other corresponding counterparts. Such notable photovoltaic performance can be ascribed to the structural advantages and synergistic coupling effect of NiS2/Ni nanoheterostructure, P doping effect, and the support role of porous carbon network, which offer abundant catalytic active sites, high porosity, and exceptional electrical conductivity. Our work suggests a novel strategy to fabricate Pt-like CE materials based on transition metal sulfides/carbon-based nanostructures with excellent performances for large-scale energy conversion devices to reach the consumer market.

Wood and PAN-derived hierarchically porous low-tortuosity carbon electrodes for high-areal-performance supercapacitors

Carbonized wood not only well retains the original hierarchical pore structure and full openly straight channels of wood, but also has structural stability and conductivity, which make it considered as a low tortuosity 3D self-support porous carbon networks electrode material with conductive-free and binder-free for supercapacitor. However, carbonized wood as a self-support electrode of supercapacitor still has some problems, such as relatively low specific surface area, not effective use of pore structure and excessive absorption of electrolyte, which seriously affects the performance of its supercapacitor. Herein, a 3D porous network of pure carbon PCN/CW electrode with high specific surface area was prepared by effective filling and re‑carbonization of the polymer PAN in carbonized wood. The PCN/CW electrode not only realized the effective filling and regulation of the carbonized wood channel solved the problem of excessive adsorption of electrolyte by the electrode, but also improved the specific surface area without introducing other substances. The obtained PCN/CW electrode exhibits high areal capacitance up to 5547 mF cm−2 at 5 mA cm−2, its symmetrical supercapacitor (PCN/CW//PCN/CW-60) delivers a maximum areal energy density of 0.26 mWh cm−2 at power density of 1.19 mW cm−2 with an outstanding capacitance retention of 97.4 % after 10,000 cycles.

Co nanoparticles-embedded hierarchical porous carbon network as high-performance cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries

Co nanoparticles-embedded hierarchical porous carbon network as high-performance cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries