Phosphorous and nitrogen dual heteroatom doped mesoporous carbon synthesized via microwave method for supercapacitor application

Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) dual heteroatom doped mesoporous carbon (PNDC) synthesized by microwave assisted carbonization of tannin cross-linked to melamine in the presence of polyphosphoric acid was evaluated electrochemically for supercapacitor application. Controlling the N content by varying the amount of tannin to melamine in the carbonization process produced varying nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen functionalities along with different physical properties. Electrochemical characterization studies revealed that N content is responsible for pseudocapacitance and high surface area plays a vital role in improving the capacitative behavior by enhanced electric double layer formation. In 1.0 M H2SO4 and 6.0 M KOH, PNDC-2 showed a high specific capacitance of 271 F g(-1), and 236 F g(-1), respectively. XPS results demonstrate the presence of pyridinic-N, quaternary-N as well as quinone type oxygen functionalities, which accounts for redox reactions and likely play an important role in the transportation of electrons during the charge/discharge process. Thus, the microwave assisted synthesis of doped carbon can provide a novel method of synthesizing materials useful for the fabrication of cheap and high performance supercapacitors. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.