High-capacitance supercapacitors using nitrogen-decorated porous carbon derived from novolac resin containing peptide linkage

• Published in: Electrochimica acta Vol. 55; no. 20; pp. 5624 - 5628
• Main Authors: Kim, Yong Jung, Jang, In Young, Park, Ki Chul, Jung, Yong Chae, Oka, Takuyuki, Iinou, Satoshi, Komori, Yasuhiro, Kozutsumi, Toshihiko, Hashiba, Takashi, Kim, Yoong Ahm, Endo, Morinobu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Activation; Applied sciences; Capacitance; Capacitors. Resistors. Filters; Carbon; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Linkages; Nitrogen atom; Nitrogen atoms; Novolac resin; Novolacs; Peptides; Polymers; Porosity; Porous carbon; Resins; Various equipment and components; X-ray photoemission spectroscopy; Novolac resin; Nitrogen atom; Capacitance; X-ray photoemission spectroscopy; Porous carbon; Porosity; Scanning electron microscopy; X ray; Electrolytic capacitor; Electrode material; Carbon; Porous material; Surface structure; Pore size; Morphology; Novolac; Preparation; Crosslinked polymer; Supercapacitor; Photoelectron spectrometry; Phenoplasts; Physicochemical properties
• ISSN: 0013-4686; 1873-3859
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2010.04.094

We fabricated nitrogen-decorated porous carbon exhibiting high capacitance per unit volume and unit weight via chemical activation of novolac resin containing peptide linkage. The porosity and the amount of nitrogen atoms were controlled by changing the molecular weight of novolac resin, the added amount of potassium hydroxide, or both. After chemical activation, positively charged nitrogen atoms (i.e., pyridine/pyrrole) at 400.3 eV in photoemission spectra contributed to both a shift in the point of zero charge toward negative potential and the generation of pseudocapacitance. Suitably developed pores and the positively charged nitrogen atoms make nitrogen-decorated novolac resin-derived porous carbon a promising material for electrodes in high-performance supercapacitors.