Fabrication of Graphitized Carbon Fibers from Fusible Lignin and Their Application in Supercapacitors

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 15; no. 8; p. 1947
• Main Authors: Zhou, Linfei, You, Xiangyu, Wang, Lingjie, Qi, Shijie, Wang, Ruichen, Uraki, Yasumitsu, Zhang, Huijie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 19.04.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Biological products; Capacitance; Capacitors; carbon fiber; Carbon fibers; catalytic graphitization; Electrochemical analysis; electrochemical performance; Electrode materials; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Energy storage; Graphitization; Lasers; Lignin; Low temperature; Melt spinning; Microscopy; Morphology; Polyethylene glycol; Pore size; Spectrum analysis; supercapacitor; Supercapacitors; China; United States > US; Japan; Germany; carbon fiber; lignin; catalytic graphitization; electrochemical performance; supercapacitor
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym15081947

Lignin-based carbon fibers (LCFs) with graphitized structures decorated on their surfaces were successfully prepared using the simultaneous catalyst loading and chemical stabilization of melt-spun lignin fibers, followed by quick carbonization functionalized as catalytic graphitization. This technique not only enables surficial graphitized LCF preparation at a relatively low temperature of 1200 °C but also avoids additional treatments used in conventional carbon fiber production. The LCFs were then used as electrode materials in a supercapacitor assembly. Electrochemical measurements confirmed that LCF-0.4, a sample with a relatively low specific surface area of 89.9 m g , exhibited the best electrochemical properties. The supercapacitor with LCF-0.4 had a specific capacitance of 10.7 F g at 0.5 A g , a power density of 869.5 W kg , an energy density of 15.7 Wh kg , and a capacitance retention of 100% after 1500 cycles, even without activation.