MIL-53(Al) assisted in upcycling plastic bottle waste into nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon for high-performance supercapacitors

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 340; p. 139865
• Main Authors: Xu, Xiaodong, Li, Jiaxin, Dymerska, Anna, Koh, J. Justin, Min, Jiakang, Liu, Siqi, Azadmanjiri, Jalal, Mijowska, Ewa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2023
• Subjects: Aluminum cans; Hierarchical porous carbon framework; MIL-53(Al); Poly(ethylene terephthalate); Solvothermal method; Supercapacitors; Supercapacitors; Hierarchical porous carbon framework; Aluminum cans; Solvothermal method; MIL-53(Al); Poly(ethylene terephthalate)
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139865

Disposable aluminum cans and plastic bottles are common wastes found in modern societies. This article shows that they can be upcycled into functional materials, such as metal-organic frameworks and hierarchical porous carbon nanomaterials for high-value applications. Through a solvothermal method, used poly(ethylene terephthalate) bottles and aluminum cans are converted into MIL-53(Al). Subsequently, the as-prepared MIL-53(Al) can be further carbonized into a nitrogen-doped (4.52 at%) hierarchical porous carbon framework. With an optical amount of urea present during the carbonization process, the carbon nanomaterial of a high specific surface area of 1324 m2 g−1 with well-defined porosity can be achieved. These features allow the nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon to perform impressively as the working electrode of supercapacitors, delivering a high specific capacitance of 355 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 in a three-electrode cell and exhibiting a high energy density of 20.1 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 225 W kg−1, while simultaneously maintaining 88.2% capacitance retention over 10,000 cycles in two-electrode system. This work demonstrates the possibility of upcycling wastes to obtain carbon-based high-performance supercapacitors. [Display omitted] •Upcycle used PET bottles and aluminum cans into the nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbons.•Prepared carbon as supercapacitor electrode delivers a high energy density of 20.1 Wh/kg.•Well-defined porous carbon framework is vital to the excellent supercapacitive performance.•This work paves an effective environmental-friendly way to prepare carbon-based supercapacitor.