Effect of Synthesis Conditions on Capacitive Properties of Porous Carbon Derived from Hemp Bast Fiber

A systematic study of the influence of synthesis conditions on the structural, morphological, and electrical properties, as well as the electrochemical performance of hemp fiber-derived carbon materials was performed. An analysis of the capacitive response of carbons obtained under various activation conditions with additional treatment with HNO3 and annealing was completed. The contribution of the formation of an electrical double layer at the outer electrode–electrolyte interface, as well as on surfaces inside micropores, has been studied and analyzed in terms of the effect of the turbostratic carbon properties (average lateral size of graphite crystallites, pore size distribution, BET surface area)

Effect of Thermal Activation on the Structure and Electrochemical Properties of Carbon Material Obtained from Walnut Shells

A simple activation method has been used to obtain porous carbon material from walnut shells. The effect of the activation duration at 400 °C in an atmosphere with limited air access on the structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties of the porous carbon material obtained from walnut shells has been studied. Moreover, the structure and morphology of the original and activated carbon samples have been characterized by SAXS, low-temperature adsorption porosimetry, SEM, and Raman spectroscopy. Therefore, the results indicate that increasing the duration of activation at a constant temperature results in a reduction in the thickness values of interplanar spacing (d002) in a range of 0.38–0.36 nm and lateral dimensions of the graphite crystallite from 3.79 to 2.52 nm. It has been demonstrated that thermal activation allows for an approximate doubling of the specific SBET surface area of the original carbon material and contributes to the development of its mesoporous structure, with a relative mesopore content of approximately 75–78% and an average pore diameter of about 5 nm. The fractal dimension of the obtained carbon materials was calculated using the Frenkel–Halsey–Hill method; it shows that its values for thermally activated samples (2.52, 2.69) are significantly higher than for the original sample (2.17). Thus, the porous carbon materials obtained were used to fabricate electrodes for electrochemical capacitors. Electrochemical investigations of these cells in a 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte were conducted by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and impedance spectroscopy. Consequently, it was established that the carbon material activated at 400 °C for 2 h exhibits a specific capacity of approximately 110–130 F/g at a discharge current density ranging from 4 to 100 mA/g

Structurally Dependent Electrochemical Properties of Ultrafine Superparamagnetic ‘Core/Shell’ γ-Fe₂O₃/Defective α-Fe₂O₃ Composites in Hybrid Supercapacitors

The paper presents a method for obtaining electrochemically active ultrafine composites of iron oxides, superparamagnetic ‘core/shell’ γ-Fe2O3/defective α-Fe2O3, which involved modifying sol-gel citrate synthesis, hydrothermal treatment of the formed sol, and subsequent annealing of materials in the air. The synthesized materials’ phase composition, magnetic microstructure, and structural, morphological characteristics have been determined via X-ray analysis, Mossbauer spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and adsorption porometry. The mechanisms of phase stability were analyzed, and the model was suggested as FeOOH → γ-Fe2O3 → α-Fe2O3. It was found that the presence of chelating agents in hydrothermal synthesis encapsulated the nucleus of the new phase in the reactor and interfered with the direct processes of recrystallization of the structure with the subsequent formation of the α-Fe2O3 crystalline phase. Additionally, the conductive properties of the synthesized materials were determined by impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical activity of the synthesized materials was evaluated by the method of cyclic voltammetry using a three-electrode cell in a 3.5 M aqueous solution of KOH. For the ultrafine superparamagnetic ‘core/shell’ γ-Fe2O3/defective α-Fe2O composite with defective hematite structure and the presence of ultra-dispersed maghemite with particles in the superparamagnetic state was fixed increased electrochemical activity, and specific discharge capacity of the material is 177 F/g with a Coulomb efficiency of 85%. The prototypes of hybrid supercapacitor with work electrodes based on ultrafine composites superparamagnetic ‘core/shell’ γ-Fe2O3/defective α-Fe2O3 have a specific discharge capacity of 124 F/g with a Coulomb efficiency of 93% for current 10 mA