Hemicellulosa-derived Arenga pinnata bunches as free-standing carbon nanofiber membranes for electrode material supercapacitors

Carbon nanofibers derived from lignocellulosic materials have become the most prevalent free-standing electrode material for supercapacitors due to their renewable and sustainable nature. This study used Arenga pinnata bunches (APB) as raw material for hemicellulose compounds to produce carbon electrodes through carbonization processes at 650 degrees C, 700 degrees C, 750 degrees C, and 800 degrees C, in the presence of flowing N-2 gas. The variations in carbonization temperature resulted in carbon electrodes with surface morphology having a nanofiber structure with micro-meso pore distribution. According to the results, the carbonization temperature of 700 degrees C (APB-700) is the optimum temperature for producing electrode surface morphology with a combination of nanofiber, micro-and mesopore distributions, as well as specific surface area, specific capacitance, energy density, and power density of 1231.896 m(2) g(-1), 201.6 F g(-1), 28.0 Wh kg(-1), and 109.5 W kg(-1), respectively, for the two electrode systems. This shows the combination of nanofibers and the distribution of micro-and mesopores produced with variations in carbonization temperature has the capacity to improve the performance of supercapacitor cells. Therefore, carbon nanofibers derived from Arenga pinnata bunches have the potential to be used as free-standing electrode materials for supercapacitors without employing doping, binder, electrospinning, and heteroatom template methods.

Automated summary

Carbon electrodes with nanofiber structures and micro-meso pore distribution were produced from Arenga pinnata bunches through carbonization processes. The optimal carbonization temperature of 700 degrees Celsius resulted in electrode surface morphology with a combination of nanofibers, micro-and mesopores, and excellent electrochemical performance.