Porous carbon nanospheres with moderately oriented domains for EDLC electrode

• Published in: Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society (Taipei) 2019-11, Vol.66 (11), p.1499-1506
• Main Authors: Meng, Xiao, Chang, Pan‐pan, Zhang, Ji‐zong, Wang, Cheng‐yang, Chen, Ming‐ming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: assembly; Carbon; Domains; Electrochemical analysis; Electrode materials; Electrodes; moderately oriented domains; Nanospheres; Nonaqueous electrolytes; porous carbon nanospheres
• ISSN: 0009-4536; 2192-6549
• DOI: 10.1002/jccs.201800487

Porous carbon nanospheres with moderately oriented microcrystalline structures were prepared via a relatively simple synthetic route in this article. CTAB acted as a structure‐directing agent to induce small sulfonated pitch (SP) pieces to assemble orderly. By this means, the formation of carbon nanospheres was simultaneous with the moderate orientation of carbon microcrystalline without additional process. Owing to the moderately oriented microcrystalline structures, the resultant sample CNS3 possessed a high e‐conductivity of 62.5 S/m. When used as an electrode material for EDLCs, it showed excellent electrochemical properties even without any conductive agent. In an organic electrolyte, the resultant sample CNS3 possessed a high specific capacitance of 155 F/g at 20 A/g and outstanding cycle life with 94.2% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles. This work puts forward a novel design for carbon nanospheres with moderately oriented domains by a simple and energy‐efficient means. In the synthesis, amphipathic sulfonated pitch (SP) disperses uniformly in aqueous solution, which will combine with CTAB through electrostatic interaction. Then CTAB, acting as a structure‐directing agent, compels the disordered SP pieces to assemble orderly in the aqueous solution, forming spherical assemblies. After carbonization and activation, the porous carbon nanospheres with moderately oriented domains are obtained.