Paper-Derived Flexible 3D Interconnected Carbon Microfiber Networks with Controllable Pore Sizes for Supercapacitors

Abstract

Heteroatom-doped three-dimensional (3D) carbon fiber networks have attracted immense interest because of their extensive applications in energy-storage devices. However, their practical production and usage remain a great challenge because of the costly and complex synthetic procedures. In this work, flexible B, N, and O heteroatom-doped 3D interconnected carbon microfiber networks (BNOCs) with controllable pore sizes and elemental contents were successfully synthesized via a facile one-step “chemical vapor etching and doping” method using cellulose-made paper, the most abundant and cost-effective biomass, as an original network-frame precursor. Under a rational design, the BNOCs exhibited interconnected microfiber-network structure as expressways for electron transport, spacious accessible surface area for charge accumulation, abundant mesopores and macropores for rapid inner-pore ion diffusion, and lots of functional groups for additional pseudocapacitance. Being applied as binder-free electrodes for supercapacitors, BNOC-based supercapacitors not only revealed a high specific capacitance of 357 F g–1, a high capacitance retention of 150 F g–1 at 200 A g–1, a high energy density of 12.4 W h kg–1, and a maximum power density of 300.6 kW kg–1 with an aqueous electrolyte in two-electrode configuration but also exhibited a high specific capacitance of up to 242.4 F g–1 in an all-solid-state supercapacitor.

Porous monoliths of 3D graphene for electric double‐layer supercapacitors

“…Further combination of the chemical vapor etching and the doping yielded a flexible B, N, and O co-doped 3D nanoporous carbon paper. 124…”

“…Ammonia would further etch away discontinuous or amorphous carbons. Further combination of the chemical vapor etching and the doping yielded a flexible B, N, and O co‐doped 3D nanoporous carbon paper 124 …”

Biomass‐Derived Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion: Overview and Perspectives

“…Electrochemical energy storage and conversion (EESC) devices, that is, batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells, play a central role in addressing these challenges because EESC is the core enabling technology toward transport electrification, hydrogen economy, and efficient utilization of renewable energy. Recently, there are growing concerns on the environmental impact of EESC technologies throughout their entire life cycle . To render more sustainable development of EESC, recycling, on the one hand, has been intensively researched and widely practiced in industry.…”

Eco-friendly and facile one-step synthesis of a three dimensional net-like magnetic mesoporous carbon derived from wastepaper as a renewable adsorbent

“…2,3 This structure is conducive to form 3D interconnected carbon architectures with wastepaper aer carbonization. 4 The cellulose bers are rich in carbon, pore structure and functional groups, such as carboxylic groups and hydroxyl groups. 5 Therefore, given the considerably high availability, the large quantities of by-products, and signicantly high ratio of paper-to-paper recycling efficiency, low-cost wastepaper is suitable to provide a recyclable carbon source.…”

“…6,7 Recently, several types of mesoporous carbon derived from print paper and lter paper were developed into functional materials for supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries. 4,8 The unique properties of these carbon materials, including high specic surface area, 3D network with high porosity and good stability endow the lithium-ion batteries with low-cost and high-performance energy systems. However, as far as we know, current researchers have paid little attention to the application of wastepaper in the eld of environmental remediation.…”