Electrochemical properties of Mn-doped activated carbon aerogel as electrode material for supercapacitor

Carbon aerogel (CA) was prepared by a sol-gel polymerization of resorcinol and formaldehyde, and it was activated with KOH to obtain activated carbon aerogel (ACA). Specific capacitance of carbon aerogel and activated carbon aerogel was measured by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge methods in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Activated carbon aerogel showed higher specific capacitance than carbon aerogel (136 F/g vs. 90 F/g). In order to combine excellent electrochemical performance of activated carbon aerogel with pseudocapacitive property of manganese oxide, 7 wt% manganese oxide was doped on activated carbon aerogel by an incipient wetness impregnation method. For comparison, 7 wt% manganese oxide was also doped on carbon aerogel by an incipient wetness impregnation method. It was revealed that 7 wt% Mn-doped activated carbon aerogel (Mn/ACA) showed higher specific capacitance than 7 wt% Mn-doped carbon aerogel (Mn/CA) (168 F/g vs. 98 F/g). The enhanced capacitance of 7 wt% Mn-doped activated carbon aerogel was attributed to the outstanding electric properties of activated carbon aerogel as well as the faradaic redox reactions of manganese oxide.     

Mn-doped activated carbon aerogel as electrode material for pseudo-capacitive supercapacitor: Effect of activation agent

Carbon aerogel (CA) was prepared by a sol-gel polymerization of resorcinol and formaldehyde, and a series of activated carbon aerogels (ACA-X, X = H₃PO₄, K₂CO₃, KOH, and ZnCl₂) were then prepared by a chemical activation using different activation agent (X represented an activation agent). Specific capacitances of activated carbon aerogels were measured by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge methods in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Among the samples prepared, ACA-K₂CO₃ showed the highest specific capacitance (152 F/g). In order to combine excellent electrochemical performance of activated carbon aerogel with pseudo-capacitive property of manganese oxide, 7 wt% manganese oxide was doped on activated carbon aerogels (Mn/ACA-X) by an incipient wetness impregnation method. Capacitance measurements revealed that Mn/ACA-K₂CO₃ showed the highest specific capacitance (189 F/g). The enhanced capacitance of Mn/ACA-K₂CO₃ was attributed to the fine pore structure and outstanding electric properties of activated carbon aerogel as well as the faradaic redox reactions of manganese oxide.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance of porous activated carbon by forming composite with graphene as high-performance supercapacitor electrode material

In this work, a novel activated carbon containing graphene composite was developed using a fast, simple, and green ultrasonic-assisted method. Graphene is more likely a framework which provides support for activated carbon (AC) particles to form hierarchical microstructure of carbon composite. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectra analysis, XRD, and XPS were used to analyze the morphology and surface structure of the composite. The electrochemical properties of the supercapacitor electrode based on the as-prepared carbon composite were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), charge/discharge, and cycling performance measurements. It exhibited better electrochemical performance including higher specific capacitance (284 F g^?1 at a current density of 0.5 A g^?1), better rate behavior (70.7% retention), and more stable cycling performance (no capacitance fading even after 2000 cycles). It is easier for us to find that the composite produced by our method was superior to pristine AC in terms of electrochemical performance due to the unique conductive network between graphene and AC.     

Bamboo-based activated carbon for supercapacitor applications

Bamboo-based activated carbon is synthesized by a simple heat treatment with or without KOH activation, and characterized for possible energy storage applications. The KOH activation introduces a very large surface area of more than 3000 m² g⁻¹ to the bamboo-based activated carbon, resulting in high specific capacitance, energy density, and power density in an aqueous electrolyte. The specific capacitance retention is more than 91% of the original capacitance after 3000 cycles, proving excellent cyclic stability for supercapacitor applications. Our results indicate that the natural resource of common bamboo could be an essential raw material for the energy storage devices.     

Cationic starch as a precursor to prepare porous activated carbon for application in supercapacitor electrodes

Three activated carbons (ACs) for the electrodes of supercapacitor were prepared from cationic starch using KOH, ZnCl₂ and ZnCl₂/CO₂ activation. The BET surface area, pore volume and pore size distribution of the ACs were evaluated using density functional theory method, based on N₂ adsorption isotherms at 77 K. The surface morphology was characterized with SEM. Their electrochemical performance in prototype capacitors was determined by galvanostatic charge/discharge characteristics and cyclic voltammetry, and compared with that of a commercial AC, which was especially prepared for use in supercapacitors. The KOH-activated starch AC presented higher BET surface area (3332 m² g⁻¹) and larger pore volume (1.585 cm³ g⁻¹) than those of the others, and had a different surface morphology. When used for the electrodes of supercapacitors, it exhibited excellent capacitance characteristics in 30 wt% KOH aqueous electrolytes and showed a high specific capacitance of 238 F g⁻¹ at 370 mA g⁻¹, which was nearly twice that of the commercial AC.     

Potato starch-based activated carbon spheres as electrode material for electrochemical capacitor

Potato starch-based activated carbon spheres (PACS) were prepared from potato starch by stabilization, carbonization followed by activation with KOH. The obtained PACS are hollow and retain the original morphology of potato starch with decrease in size, as shown by scanning electron microscopy. Modification of textural properties of the PACS was achieved by varying the carbonization temperature and the ratio of KOH/PCS. The results of N₂ adsorption isotherms indicate that the samples prepared are mainly microporous. The electrochemical behaviors of the hollow PACS were studied by galvanostatic charge-discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that high specific capacitance of 335 F/g is obtained at current density 50 mA/g for PACS with specific surface area 2342 m²/g. Only a slight decrease in capacitance, to 314 F/g, was observed when the current density increases to 1000 mA/g, indicating a stable electrochemical property.     

Pulsed electrodeposition of mesoporous cobalt-doped manganese dioxide as supercapacitor electrode material

Cobalt-doped MnO₂, as electrode material for supercapacitor, was synthesized by pulse electrodeposition method. The morphology and structure of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The results show that the crystal structure of the products is γ-type, and the samples reveals a porous texture composed of manganese oxide nanosheets. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS), and galvanostatic charge–discharge tests indicate that doping cobalt has great effect on the electrochemical performance of manganese dioxide material. A specific capacitance of 354 F g^?1 is obtained when the molar ratio of Mn to Co is 200:10. After 100 charge–discharge cycles in 6 M KOH solution, the specific capacitance stabilized at 333.6 F g^?1, exhibiting excellent capacitance retention ability.     

活性炭超级电容器电极材料放电过程非线性特征研究

论述了活性炭超级电容器材料充放电性能的测试方法步骤和测试结果,在此基础上,通过模拟,确定放电电流随时间的变化规律.建立物理模型,用固体物理理论,从微观角度研究材料的电阻随温度的变化,进而得到活性炭超级电容器材料放电电流强度随温度和放电时间变化规律的解析式,探讨材料原子的非简谐振动对电极材料放电性能的影响.结果表明:(1)电极材料放电电流随时间的变化并不遵从将它作为线性元件处理时的按时间的负指数规律变化,而是非线性减小,减小的情况与温度有关;(2)活性炭超级电容器材料的电阻随温度升高而增大.增大情况与原子振动情况有关:将原子振动作简谐近似处理时,材料的电阻的倒数几乎与温度成反比,考虑到原子非振动后,其电阻随温度升高而增大的情况加剧,温度愈高,非简谐振动项的影响愈大;(3)本文提出的物理模型和采用的理论,能对活性炭超级电容器电极材料放电性能进行有效的研究.     

Graphene oxides and carbon nanotubes embedded in polyacrylonitrile-based carbon nanofibers used as electrodes for supercapacitor

This study investigates the use of graphene oxides (GOs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in polyacrylonitrile-based carbon nanofibers (GO–CNT/CNF) as electrodes for the supercapacitor. GO–CNT/CNF was prepared by electrospinning, and was subsequently stabilized and activated. The specific capacitance of GO–CNT/CNF is 120.5 F g⁻¹ in 0.5 M Na₂SO₄ electrolyte, which is higher than or comparable to the specific capacitances of carbon-based materials in neutral aqueous electrolyte, as prepared in this study. GO–CNT/CNF also exhibits a superior cycling stability, and 109% of the initial specific capacitance after 5000 cycles. The high capacitance of GO–CNT/CNF could be attributed to the edge planes and the functional groups of GO, the highly electrical conductivity of CNT, and the network structure of the electrode.     

Preparation and electrochemical investigation of the cobalt hydroxide carbonate/activated carbon nanocomposite for supercapacitor applications

Cobalt hydroxide carbonate/activated carbon (AC) composite was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. Morphological characterizations of cobalt hydroxide carbonate/AC composite were carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the results show that the cobalt hydroxide carbonate nanorods are well dispersed on the AC. Due to the synergistic effects arising from cobalt hydroxide carbonate nanorods and AC, the electrochemical performances of pure cobalt hydroxide carbonate material is significantly improved by the addition of AC. The composite shows a specific capacitance of 301.44 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹ in 6 M KOH electrolyte and exhibits good cycling stability. Based on the above results, the cobalt hydroxide carbonate/AC composite shows a considerable promise as electrode for electrochemical applications.     

Synthesis of carbon-coated Fe3O4 nanorods as electrode material for supercapacitor

Carbon-coated Fe₃O₄ and pure Fe₃O₄ nanorods are synthesized via hydrothermal reaction and subsequent sintering procedure. The as-prepared products characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis indicate that carbon coating does not affect the structure and morphology of Fe₃O₄. Transmission electron microscope shows that Fe₃O₄ nanorods are homogeneously coated by carbon layer with a thickness of approximately 2 nm. The electrochemical properties measured by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests show that carbon-coated Fe₃O₄ (Fe₃O₄/C) nanorods present improved electrochemical performance due to the carbon layer. A specific capacitance of 275.9 F?g^?1 is achieved at a current density of 0.5 A g^?1 in 1 M Na₂SO₃ aqueous solution for the Fe₃O₄/C nanorods in comparison to that of 208.6 F?g^?1 for pure Fe₃O₄.     

Study on the electrochemical behavior of vanadium nitride as a promising supercapacitor material

Vanadium nitride (VN) powder was synthesized by calcining V₂O₅ xerogel in a furnace under an anhydrous NH₃ atmosphere at 400 °C. The structure and surface morphology of the obtained VN powder were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The supercapacitive behavior of VN in 1 M KOH electrolyte was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV), constant current charge-discharge cycling (CD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The XRD result indicates that the obtained VN belongs to the cubic crystal system (Fm3m [2 2 5]) with unit-cell parameter 4.15 Å. SEM images show the homogeneous surface of the obtained VN. The CV diagrams illustrate the existence of fast and reversible redox reactions on the surface of VN electrode. The specific capacitance of VN is 161 F g⁻¹ at 30 mV s⁻¹. Furthermore, the specific capacitance remains 70% of the original value when the scan rate increases from 30 to 300 mV s⁻¹. CD experiments show that VN is suitable for CD at high current density, and the slow and irreversible faradic reactions exist during the charge-discharge process of the VN electrode. The experimental results indicate that VN is a promising electrode material for electrochemical supercapacitors.     

Preparation of activated carbons by microwave heating KOH activation

Activated carbons with high surface areas were prepared via KOH activation process by microwave (MW) heating. As a comparison, activated carbons were also prepared by conventional heating (EF) method. The influences of KOH/Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) weight ratio and activation time on the pore properties of the activated carbons were investigated. For both MW and EF heating methods, the surface area and pore volume increase to a maximum and then decrease with the KOH/MCMB ratio increasing. The effects of activation time on the pore properties depend on the KOH/MCMB ratio. The activated carbons prepared by MW heating have higher surface area and larger pore volume than those by EF heating when KOH/MCMB ratio is the same. The MW heating method shortens the activation time considerably. Activated carbons prepared by MW heating show low content of oxygen containing groups.     

Synthesis of nanofiber-composed dandelion-like CoNiAl triple hydroxide as an electrode material for high-performance supercapacitor

In this work, CoNiAl triple hydroxide with nanofiber-composed dandelion-like morphology was synthesized on nickel foam by a hydrothermal route. This delicate nanostructure was initiated from the rolling up of hydroxide nanosheets. The hierarchical nanostructure and optimized molar ratio of Co, Ni, and Al guarantees the high electrochemical performance of obtained samples. The maximum specific capacitance of 2,791 F g^?1 for the as-prepared CoNiAl hydroxides was achieved at scan rate of 5 mV s^?1 in 3 M KOH aqueous solution. The capacitance of material still remained 85 % after 2,000 charge–discharge cycles. These results demonstrated that the as-prepared CoNiAl triple hydroxide can be applied as a high-performance electrode material for supercapacitor.     

Anchoring alpha-manganese oxide nanocrystallites on multi-walled carbon nanotubes as electrode materials for supercapacitor

The partial coverage of manganese oxide (MnO₂) particles was achieved on the surfaces of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through a facile hydrothermal process. These particles were demonstrated to be alpha-manganese dioxide (α-MnO₂) nanocrystallites, and exhibited the appearance of the whisker-shaped crystals with the length of 80–100 nm. In such a configuration, the uncovered CNTs in the nanocomposite acted as a good conductive pathway and the whisker-shaped MnO₂ nanocrystallites efficiently increased the contact of the electrolyte with the active materials. Thus, the highest specific capacitance of 550 F g⁻¹ was achieved using the resulting nanocomposites as the supercapacitor electrode. In addition, the enhancement of the capacity retention was observed, with the nanocomposite losing only 10% of the maximum capacity after 1,500 cycles.     

Effect of temperature on the hybrid supercapacitor based on NiO and activated carbon with alkaline polymer gel electrolyte

A hybrid supercapacitor was fabricated with NiO and activated carbon as positive and negative electrode, PVA–KOH–H₂O containing 5 M KOH as alkaline polymer gel electrolyte, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements were applied to investigate the dependence of the hybrid supercapacitor on the temperatures from − 20 to 40 °C. The results demonstrated that the capacitive performance of the hybrid supercapacitor turned even better with the temperatures rising up from − 20 to 40 °C. The increase of temperature improved the conductivity of the alkaline polymer gel electrolyte, decreased the charge-transfer resistance and made the better contact at the interface between the electroactive materials and the alkaline gel electrolyte at higher operating temperature. The maximum of the specific capacitance and energy density of the hybrid supercapacitor were 73.4 F/g and 26.1 Wh/kg at the current density of 0.1 A/g and the operating temperature of 40 °C, respectively.     

Electrochemical synthesis of flower like Mn-Co mixed metal oxides as electrode material for supercapacitor application

In the present work flower like Mn-Co mixed metal oxide electrode materials were successfully synthesized by simple, low cost electrodeposition method on stainless steel substrates. Different volume ratio of Mn-Co was used to attempt enhancement in the supercapacitive properties of electrode material. Structural, morphological and wettability properties of synthesized electrodes were carried out using XRD, RAMAN, FE-SEM and Contact Angle Measurement techniques. Electrochemical properties of electrodeposited Mn-Co mixed metal oxide at three different volume variation such as 50-50, 60-40 and 70-30 electrodes were analyzed by using cyclic voltammetry, galvonostatic charge discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 1 M NaOH aqueous electrolyte. The Mn-Co:60-40 composition shows maximum specific capacitance which is 679 F/g at scan rate 5 mV/sec. Charge discharge studies gives 95% columbic efficiency. Impedance spectroscopy reveals capacitive behavior and gives series resistance ∼0.19 ohm and combined internal resistance ∼0.89 ohm. The 80% retention of specific capacitance after the 1000 cycles. The synergistic effect of Mn-Co mixed metal oxide electrode having good conductivity, large surface area and improved charge transportation than individual electrode material leads to enhancing supercapacitor performance of electrode material for its practical application.     

An insight into the KOH activation mechanism through the production of microporous activated carbon for the removal of Pb cations

Chemical activation was used through direct mixing of KOH with maize stalks in the smallest amount of water to provide KOH-to-stalk ratios of 33, 50, 66 and 75% by weight. The KOH-treated stalks were carbonized at 700 °C to produce a series of four activated carbons, besides a non-activated sample that was prepared and carbonized at 550 °C. The porous properties of these carbons were characterized by the Langmuir, BET and Dubinin-Radushkevich linear equations as well as both α_s (alpha-s) and t methods based on nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The chemical reactions involved during the impregnation and the carbonization processes for these hydroxide/lignocellulose mixtures have been proposed. Deep insight has been obtained concerning the possible reactions mechanism. The results showed that the KOH ratio was found to be the basic indicator of micoporosity development. The increase in the concentration of KOH much increased the S^α values of the resulting carbons reaching a maximum limit at 66 wt% KOH with S^α of 1684 m²/g and micropore ratio of ∼85% displaying an inverse correlation thereafter. The thermal behaviour and the surface microstructure in addition to the surface functional groups of the maize stalks and their prepared carbons were investigated by TGA, SEM and FTIR. The investigated carbons took up significant amounts of Pb²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions, which are ascribed to both the porosity and surface chemical nature of the adsorbents.     

碳气凝胶及活化碳气凝胶电极材料制备与性能

以间苯二酚(R)-甲醛(F)为原料,制备了有机气凝胶和碳气凝胶,并对其进行二氧化碳活化。X射线衍射(XRD)测试表明,二氧化碳渗入到碳气凝胶网络结构发生反应,造成(002)峰和(100)峰减弱;扫描电子显微镜(SEM)测试表明,活化没有破坏碳气凝胶的骨架结构,而是增加了大量的nm尺度微孔,从而大大提高了碳气凝胶的比表面积和微孔比例。在1 mol/L KOH电解液中进行了循环伏安和计时电位扫描测试,电极材料电化学性能稳定,具有较好的可逆性,在1 mA/s电流密度下进行充放电测试,得到活化前电极比电容为103 F/g,活化后由于比表面积的增加,比电容达到371 F/g,是一种理想的电化学电极材料。     

碳气凝胶及活化碳气凝胶电极材料制备与性能

 以间苯二酚(R)-甲醛(F)为原料,制备了有机气凝胶和碳气凝胶,并对其进行二氧化碳活化。X射线衍射(XRD)测试表明,二氧化碳渗入到碳气凝胶网络结构发生反应,造成(002)峰和(100)峰减弱;扫描电子显微镜(SEM)测试表明,活化没有破坏碳气凝胶的骨架结构,而是增加了大量的nm尺度微孔,从而大大提高了碳气凝胶的比表面积和微孔比例。在1 mol/L KOH电解液中进行了循环伏安和计时电位扫描测试,电极材料电化学性能稳定,具有较好的可逆性,在1 mA/s电流密度下进行充放电测试,得到活化前电极比电容为103 F/g,活化后由于比表面积的增加,比电容达到371 F/g,是一种理想的电化学电极材料。