Self-assembly fabrication of lignin-derived carbon with dual heteroatoms doping for high-performance supercapacitor

Renewable and low-cost biomass is an ideal sustainable alternative to petroleum-based resources, but producing biomass-based carbon electrode with high performances remains a challenge. Herein, we propose a facile self-assembly strategy to fabricate a biomass-derived N, S co-doping carbon electrode from lignosulfonate without any activation or template process. Taking advantage of the coordination between Fe ions and lignosulfonate, the resultant carbon exhibits a spherical structure with abundant graphitized nanosheets, leading to a high specific surface area with rational pore structure, which are beneficial to the electron/ion transport and storage. The high contents of doping N (8.47 wt%) and S (2.56 wt%) significantly boost the electrochemical performances. As a supercapacitor electrode, the carbon material displays high specific capacitance of 390 F g⁻¹, excellent cycling stability and high energy density of 14.7 W h kg⁻¹ at a power density of 450 W kg⁻¹. This study provides a potential strategy for synthesizing cost-effective heteroatom-doped carbon materials from biomass with abundant functional groups and heteroatom sources, such as chitosan, collagen, and gelatin.

Graphical Abstract