Improving Electrochemical Performance of Biomass-Derived Carbon Electrodes by Post-Carbonization Chemical Activation

In this study biowaste-derived carbon electrode materials with improved physical properties for supercapacitor application are synthesized. The chosen biomass is Desmostachya bipinnata , which was activated using a chemical method to improve previous results. The morphological and structural study of the synthesized activated carbon material is carried out using a multi-technique experimental approach revealing the presence of a micro-and nanoporosity and their effects on the physico-chemical performance of the electrode. In order to check the applicability of the process of synthesis, the activated carbon has been tested as electrode material working in a supercapacitor device subjected to cyclic voltammetry analysis. The synthesized material is able to deliver maximum specific capacitance of ~ 167.2 Fg-1, quite one order of magnitude higher than the same material characterized without activation. The results show that Desmostachya bipinnata is an important precursor for electrode materials for energy devices and deserves further studies to make possible its possible use in industrial production routes.