A novel route to produce large-scale activated carbon for supercapacitor application

A large-scale activated carbon was successfully synthesized via a simple and rapid Boudouard reaction using cotton fibers as the carbon source, presenting a cost-effective and scalable alternative to traditional methods using inert atmospheres. Carbonization was conducted at 600 degrees C, followed by chemical activation at 650 and 850 degrees C temperatures, to evaluate their influence on structural and electrochemical properties. Structural analysis by XRD confirmed a turbostratic carbon structure while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a porous and wrinkled surface morphology. The sample activated at 850 degrees C demonstrated an enhanced specific capacitance of 158.7 F/g, an energy density of 5.51 Wh/kg and a power density of 62.5 W/kg within a potential window of 0-1000 mV. These results closely match those obtained with inert gases, confirming the effectiveness of this method for sustainable and high-performance activated carbon synthesis.Graphical abstractSchematic representation of the synthesis process of activated carbon fibers from cotton, including carbonization under a CO/CO2 atmosphere and chemical activation, along with electrochemical performance results for supercapacitor applications