Biomass-derived carbon as a potential sustainable material for supercapacitor-based energy storage: Design, construction and application

As an important energy storage device, supercapacitors have been widely used in the field of energy storage. Biomass becomes an ideal source of carbon electrode material for supercapacitors due to its low cost, wide source, and environmental friendliness. In this paper, a detailed summary of the various methods of preparation and activation of biomass-derived carbon electrode materials was presented. Meanwhile, the methods of doping atoms to improve the electrochemical properties of carbon electrode materials were systematically categorized. In addition, three methods to improve the performance of supercapacitors had been summarized, i.e., the addition of organic acids to the hydrothermal carbonization process, the addition of redox additives/redox electrolytes, and the intensification of wood biochar monoliths. Some of the major application areas of supercapacitors were summarized, as well as an outlook on the future direction of supercapacitor development. This review can provide some creative insights into the study of biomass-derived carbon as an electrode material for supercapacitors.