| Abstract |
Carbon nanofiber (CNF) electrodes are conductive and electrochemically stable, making excellent supercapacitor components. However, such fibers are commonly made from commercial polymer precursors, such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), which are expensive to produce. Further, PAN carbon fibers are inert and lack porous surfaces, limiting their use as supercapacitor electrodes without further modification. We demonstrate the use of coal-derived polyurethane (CPU) in lieu of PAN, producing a cheap alternative precursor. Electrospinning and carbonization of this precursor produces porous fibers which are rich in nitrogen and oxygen species, creating an active surface facilitating fast faradaic reactions (FFRs). These electrodes offer superior electrochemical performance, with 604 F g−1 at 1 A g−1. After an initial activation period, this capacitance is stable over 10,000 cycles. In a symmetrical two electrode cell, this activated carbon offers superior rate performance and power-energy density trade-off compared to commercial and literature activated carbon electrodes with 20.9 Wh kg−1 energy density at a power density of 0.5 kW kg−1. |
| Authors |
Robert E.F. Cincotta   , Shuai Tan , Charmaine Lamiel , Mohammad M. Afroz , Katie Dongmei Li-Oakey
|
| Journal Info |
Elsevier BV | Journal of Energy Storage , vol: 87
, pages: 111268 - 111268
|
| Publication Date |
5/1/2024 |
| ISSN |
2352-152X |
Type |
article |
| Open Access |
closed
|
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2024.111268 |
| Keywords |
High-Performance Electrodes (Score: 0.546932) , Nanofibers (Score: 0.529233) , Electrolyte Design (Score: 0.50902)
|
