Co-activation strategy towards asphalt-based pore engineering and heteroatom-doped porous carbon for supercapacitors
Shaoxiong Du, Peng Wang, Bo Jiang, Lingyu Kong, Ziyang Cao, Xi Wu, Zhengxuan Li, Yang Wang, Yongfeng Li
Abstract
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.