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Lignite-derived mesoporous N- and O-enriched carbon sheet: a low-cost promising electrode for high-performance electrochemical capacitors

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Abstract

In the work, we successfully fabricate mesoporous N- and O-enriched carbon (NOC) with adjustable porosity and specific surface area (SSA) by using low-cost lignite as a precursor coupled with general KOH or ZnCl2 activation for electrochemical capacitors (ECs). Physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations reveal that chemical activating agents influence significantly upon the specific morphology, pore structure, and electrochemical performance of the resultant products. Strikingly, KOH-activated NOC (NOC-K) sheets are endowed with high SSA of ∼1257 m2 g−1, large pore volume of 1.3 cm3 g−1, and optimized pore size of ∼3 nm, rendering its electrochemical capacitance superior to those of NOC and ZnCl2-activated NOC (NOC-Z) in 6 M KOH. Thanks to its rich mesoporosity coupled with large electroactive SSA and heteroatom doping (N of ∼4.8 at.% and O of ∼23.3 at.%) effect, the NOC-K electrode yields even better electrochemical behaviors in 1 M H2SO4 than those in 6 M KOH.

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Abbreviations

NOC:

N- and O-enriched carbon

SSA:

Specific surface area

SED:

Specific energy density

ECs:

Electrochemical capacitors

NOC-Z:

ZnCl2-activated NOC

NOC-K:

KOH-activated NOC

CE:

Coulombic efficiency

EDLCs:

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors

SC:

Specific capacitance

BET:

Brunauer–Emmett–Teller

RT:

Room temperature

FESEM:

Field-emission scanning electron microscope

TEM:

Transmission electron microscope

HRTEM:

High-resolution transmission electron microscope

PSD:

Pore size distribution

BJH:

Barrett–Joyner–Halenda

XPS:

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

CV:

Cyclic voltammetry

CP:

Chronopotentiometry

EIS:

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

SCE:

Saturated calomel electrode

SL:

Shengli

SPD:

Specific power density

BE:

Binding energy

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 51202004, 51572005, 51502003), the Anhui Province Foundation for Distinguished Young Scientists (no. 1508085J09), the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (no. 1508085ME106), and the Foundation for Young Talents in College of Anhui Province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science & Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan, 243002, Peoples Republic of China

    Siqi Zhu, Qiuli Chen, Yaoyao Shi, Zhiyi Chen, Ruiqi Bao, Lu Zhou, Linrui Hou & Changzhou Yuan

  2. Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, Peoples Republic of China

    Kwun Nam Hui & Changzhou Yuan

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  1. Siqi Zhu
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  2. Qiuli Chen
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  3. Yaoyao Shi
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  6. Lu Zhou
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Correspondence to Linrui Hou, Kwun Nam Hui or Changzhou Yuan.

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Zhu, S., Chen, Q., Shi, Y. et al. Lignite-derived mesoporous N- and O-enriched carbon sheet: a low-cost promising electrode for high-performance electrochemical capacitors. J Solid State Electrochem 20, 713–723 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-015-3100-8

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