Biomass-based controllable morphology of carbon microspheres with multi-layer hollow structure for superior performance in supercapacitors

In Situ Self-Assembly of Nitrogen-Doped 3D Flower-like Hierarchical Porous Carbon and Its Application for Supercapacitors

“…It is worth mentioning that several types of porous carbons were fabricated, including sheet-like and flower-like porous carbon, under different tests for other products ( Figure 1 c–m). Herein, the carbon microstructures from the growth of carbon sheets in an overall direction with the size of particles were approximately 5 µm (inserted in Figure 1 f’–i’), which is derived from such high-pressure treatment via facile hydrothermal strategy [ 24 ]. As we know, a joint structure combining flower-like geometry with interconnected pore channels can render fast ion diffusion paths to reduce the electric resistance, which is in agreement with the specific surface areas and pore volumes discussed above [ 40 ].…”

“…Starch, as a natural polysaccharide, possesses a high carbon content, making it a promising candidate for conversion into high-value carbon materials. At present, carbon aerogels, carbon foams, carbon microspheres, etc., derived from starch-derived raw materials demonstrate excellent performance in supercapacitors [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. As can be noted, the common pursuit outlined above is the hierarchical porous structure, involving micro/meso/macro-pores, especially mesopores.…”

“…The existence of this substance could shorten the space between electrolyte and electrode materials, resulting in higher efficiency in charge storage and transmission. Generally, a surfactant or structural inducer is needed to facilitate the process of growth [ 24 , 35 ]. In other aspects, the introduction of heteroatoms through mono/dual/multi-doping alters the electron mobility within the carbon bulk, while also improving the wettability of the matrix and electrolyte.…”