Synthesis of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Microspheres as Precursor for Hard Carbon-Based Electrodes in Symmetric Supercapacitors

Cellulose microspheres have a wide range of applications due to their unique properties and versatility. Various preparation methods have been explored to tailor these microspheres for specific applications. Among these methods, the acetate method using cellulose acetate is well known. However, replacement of the acetate group through the butyrate group significantly extends the variety of morphological properties. In the present work, microspheres based on cellulose acetate butyrate are being developed with modified characteristics in terms of particle size, porosity, surface morphology and the inner structure of the microspheres. While the inner structure of cellulose acetate microspheres is predominantly porous, microspheres prepared from cellulose acetate butyrate are mainly filled or contain several smaller microspheres. Carbon materials from cellulose acetate butyrate microspheres exhibit a high specific surface area of 567 m