Meso- and microporous carbon electrode and its effect on the capacitive, energy and power properties of supercapacitor

Abstract

Activated carbon monoliths (ACMs) with average pore diameters in the meso- and micropore regions were successfully produced from biomass material. ACM synthesis uses chemical activation with KOH and ZnCl₂ activating agents. The carbon and activating agent mass ratios were 1:1, 1:3, 1:5 and 1:7. Both activating materials produced an ACM with an average pore diameter of 3.2 nm. The specific capacitance, specific surface area, energy and power were as high as 63 F/g, 650 m²/g, and 0.23 Wh/kg for KOH and 73 F/g, and 522 m²/g, and 19 W/kg for ZnCl₂ activating agents, respectively. For comparison, we also studied the physical and electrochemical properties of ACM with an average pore size in the micropore range from the same raw material.