Enhancing porous electrodes through carbon activation of palm shell with gel activating agent

Abstract

Activated carbon derived from biomass offers several advantages, including high surface area, customizable pore sizes, abundance, resilience across temperatures, and cost-effectiveness. This study focuses on exploring the potential of palm shell as a renewable alternative for supercapacitor electrode materials. Specifically, it investigates the utilization of a gel composed of NaOH and PVA for activating carbon. Here, palm shell undergoes chemical activation, and its resulting activated carbon’s structural and physicochemical properties are comprehensively examined using XRD, FTIR, and BET measurements. The investigation delves into the electrochemical properties using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of electrodes fabricated from chemically activated carbon derived from palm shells. The activated carbon enhanced a surface area of 216.062 m² g⁻¹ and a pore volume of 0.1468 cm³ g⁻¹, and it is produced through the innovative approach of gel-based activation. This research highlights the potential of palm shell-derived activated carbon as a viable, sustainable, and efficient material for supercapacitor electrodes.

Graphical abstract