Cellulose non-woven fabric-derived porous carbon films as binder-free electrodes for supercapacitors

• Published in: Cellulose (London) Vol. 26; no. 7; pp. 4529 - 4540
• Main Authors: Lee, Byoung-Min, Eom, Jin-Ju, Baek, Ga Young, Hong, Sung-Kwon, Jeun, Joon-Pyo, Choi, Jae-Hak, Yun, Je Moon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aqueous electrolytes; Bioorganic Chemistry; Capacitance; Carbon; Carbonization; Cellulose; Ceramics; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Electrical resistivity; Electrochemical analysis; Electrode materials; Electrodes; Glass; Inert atmospheres; Natural Materials; Nonwoven fabrics; Organic Chemistry; Original Research; Physical Chemistry; Polymer Sciences; Specific surface; Supercapacitors; Surface area; Surface resistance; Sustainable Development; Temperature dependence; Carbonization; Supercapacitor; Electrode; Stabilization; Cellulose non-woven fabrics
• ISSN: 0969-0239; 1572-882X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10570-019-02380-6

In this study, porous carbon films with a high specific surface area and excellent electrical conductivity were prepared from cheap cellulose non-woven fabrics (CNWFs) for high-performance supercapacitors. CNWFs were stabilized under the optimized conditions and then carbonized at various temperatures under inert atmosphere, resulting in carbonized CNWFs (C-CNWFs) with a high specific area without any activation process and a low surface resistance. The specific surface area and electrochemical properties of the C-CNWFs were found to be strongly dependent on the carbonization temperature. In particular, the C-CNWFs prepared at 1000 °C showed superior electrochemical performance in a KOH aqueous electrolyte, including a high specific capacitance of ~ 240 F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 , and a good capacitance retention of 99.7%. This excellent performance demonstrates the potential for the application of C-CNWFs as an electrode material in high-performance supercapacitors. Graphical abstract