Abstract:
In this work, orange peel waste was used as the precursor for
activated carbon-based electrodes for Li-Ion Capacitors. Initially,
activated carbons were prepared by chemical activation process
using ZnCl2. The surface of the activated carbon was then
modified with the oxidative chemical agents such as
H2SO4, HNO3, H2O2 and KOH solutions. The morphology,
surface chemical composition, and surface area of the surface
modified carbon materials were studied by scanning electron
microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunauer–
Emmett–Teller measurement, respectively. Electrochemical
characteristics of the as-prepared sample were investigated by
cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD),
and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
measurements. Experimental results showed that the surface
modification had a very significant effect on the improvement of
electrochemical characteristics of activated carbon as electrodes
in super capacitors. The good electrochemical performance of the
activated carbon was attributed to well-developed micropores,
high surface area, the presence of oxygen functional groups, and
larger pore volume. The results indicate that orange peel waste
can potentially be applied as a raw material for the production of
low cost activated carbon electrode materials for Li-Ion
Capacitors.
