Co-activation strategy towards asphalt-based pore engineering and heteroatom-doped porous carbon for supercapacitors

Carbon materials with appropriate porosity and surface structure are promising candidates for high-energy density supercapacitors (SCs). However, designing a facile method to synthesize carbon materials with this synergistic effect remains challenging. Herein, a green and low-cost co-activation strategy is proposed to successfully prepare three-dimensional (3D) reticulated structure asphalt-based porous carbon materials with high electrochemical activity. Notably, two activated materials with similar pore-forming function synergistically completed pore creation and heteroatom incorporation during pyrolysis process . The synthesized materials display large specific surface area (SSA) (1362 m 2 g −1 ), distinctively porous architecture and rich heteroatoms (N, O, S) doping. Electrochemical evaluations reveal that the optimal electrode possesses exceptional ion affinity, delivering a maximum specific capacitance of 527 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 , and remarkable rate ability 64 % (1–50 A g −1 ). In addition, the symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) assembled from the above electrodes deliver an impressive energy density of 14.81 Wh kg −1 at 250 W kg −1 . Importantly, this work may offer a scalable technique for manufacturing asphalt-based pore-rich carbon that will stimulate the development of carbon materials in the energy industry.