Nitrogen-enriched
polybenzoxazine thermosets derived from the ring-opening
polymerization of side-chain-type benzoxazine-functionalized polyethylenimine
resins (Bz-pei) have been previously reported by our group. In view
of the appreciable nitrogen content and significant char yield, these
thermosets have been envisioned as enticing carbon precursors and
therefore have been sustainably upcycled to nitrogen-doped carbon
materials. It is worth mentioning that the sustainable upcycling method
should circumscribe energy as well as cost consumption, due to which
carbon materials in the present work have been developed under moderate
carbonization conditions, without chemical activation treatment. The
developed nitrogen-doped carbon materials have been characterized
by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction
(XRD), Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The pore
topography has been analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis has been performed, while
the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area has been
determined using nitrogen adsorption–desorption experiments.
A comparison of the results obtained from electrochemical investigations
performed in a three-electrode setup shows that carbon material upcycled
from the guaiacol-based polybenzoxazine thermoset, exhibiting 6.4%
nitrogen doping in the carbon framework (labeled as C-GP81), exhibits
an impressive capacitance of 700 F g–1 at 10 A g–1 current density, suggesting excellent efficiency
and rate capability of the obtained N-doped carbon-material-based
supercapacitor electrodes. Furthermore, the carbon material designated
as C-GP81 could deliver a maximum energy density (E
d) of 48 Wh kg–1 at a power density
(P
d) of 8400 W kg–1 in
a three-electrode configuration. The performance of the crafted supercapacitor
device for the present study has surpassed the performance reported
for polybenzoxazine-derived carbons. Additionally, the performance
of carbon material labeled as C-GP81 has been evaluated for its potential
as an active component in the electrodes of a symmetric device.
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