Nitrogen and Sulfur Co-doped Hierarchical Porous Biochar Derived from the Pyrolysis of Mantis Shrimp Shell for Supercapacitor Electrodes

Abstract

The preparation of high-value biochar as a supercapacitor is a promising way for biomass utilization. In this work, a self-activation method was proposed to prepare nitrogen and sulfur co-doping hierarchical porous biochar by using mantis shrimp shell as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur precursors. The porosity and surface chemical properties of biochar were adjusted upon different temperatures. It was found that the obtained biochar had a dendritic and uniform morphology, in which micro-, meso-, and macropores were interconnected regularly in the structure, and the nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms were successfully homogeneously introduced into the carbon frameworks. On the basis of electrochemical tests, novel shell biochar with an activation temperature of 750 °C demonstrated the highest specific capacitance, which was 201 F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 in a 6 M KOH electrolyte, due to the large BET surface area of 401 m 2 g −1 , and high nitrogen (8.2 wt %) and sulfur content (1.16 wt %). The in situ template approach from natural biomass provided tremendous potential for the active electrode materials of supercapacitors.

A Freestanding Chitin-Derived Hierarchical Nanocomposite for Developing Electrodes in Future Supercapacitor Industry

“…To further evaluate the application potential of the developed composite as supercapacitors, the electrical capacitance of the CCF/rGO composites were characterized using two-electrode cells (described in the Supplementary Note S1 ). The composites exhibit comparable capacitance properties with previously reported materials [ 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”

“…Chitin nanofibers, as the main structural building units for the crustacean cuticle, are natural carbon-rich materials and have been applied to prepare heteroatom-doped carbon material for electrode applications. Gao et al [ 25 ], Qu et al [ 26 ], and Huang et al [ 27 ] turned the crustacean cuticle into porous biochar with outstanding capacitance performance, while Qu et al [ 28 ] and Li et al [ 29 ] applied the obtained carbons for the cathodes of batteries. However, these studies turned the cuticle into powders or particles, which abandoned the merits of the self-supporting nature.…”

Versatile One-Pot Construction Strategy for the Preparation of Porous Organic Polymers via Domino Polymerization

“…CM-POP-P exhibits a similar performance to the other nitrogen-doped carbon supercapacitors that need activation (Table S13). − …”

Perspectives of Engineered Biochar for Environmental Applications: A Review

“…New applications for biochar not covered in this review include electrodes, microbial fuel cells, supercapacitors, and lithium-ion batteries. ,− Another promising biochar application not discussed in this review is its use in stormwater treatment. , Although the steps described in this review for the production of engineered biochars are important, equaly vital is the formulation of the new final product which will depend of the overall performance expected for a targeted application. Conducting case-specific biochar market analysis is essential for identifying the needs for new engineered biochars .…”