Sugarcane molasses as a pseudocapacitive material for supercapacitors. Issue 91 (16th September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sanchez-Sanchez, A.; Martinez de Yuso, Alicia; Braghiroli, Flavia Lega; Izquierdo, M. Teresa; Alvarez, Edelio Danguillecourt; Pérez-Cappe, Eduardo; Mosqueda, Yodalgis; Fierro, Vanessa; Celzard, Alain
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 6:Issue 91(2016)
• Page Start: 88826
• Page End: 88836
• Publication Date: 2016-09-16
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra16314a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : Carbons from cane molasses with 8 m 2 g −1 BET area yielded capacitances up to 153 F g −1 at 0.5 mV s −1 in 1 M H2 SO4, with 35.2% pseudocapacitance contribution, due to the high surface concentration of quinone and carbonyl groups. Abstract : Oxygen-rich carbons were obtained from sugarcane molasses by two methods: direct carbonisation on one hand, and hydrothermal carbonisation and subsequent pyrolysis on the other hand. As no activation treatments were applied, the porous texture was poorly developed and mainly composed of ultramicropores with restricted access to electrolyte ions. Despite this, the directly carbonised molasses exhibited specific capacitances up to 153 F g −1 at 0.5 mV s −1 in 1 M H2 SO4 electrolyte when tested as electrodes in a three-electrode system. Given the low specific surface areas of the carbons, the capacitance values were mainly assigned to their pseudocapacitance contributions. The latter were more adequately estimated by considering the NLDFT surface area ( S NLDFT ) than the BET area ( A BET ) due to the narrow porosity of the materials. Maximum values of pseudocapacitance contribution of 35.2% were attained for the carbon with a S NLDFT of 178 m 2 g −1, which were explained by the high concentrations of surface oxygen groups, such as quinones and carbonyls.