N, O co-doped porous activated carbon derived from rotted Cucurbita Pepo as anode material for high-performance supercapacitors

Among the numerous benefits of porous carbon materials, their economic viability, abundance of availability, and environmental sustainability have made them increasingly popular in the realm of energy transformation and storage. Herein, the rotted Cucurbita pepo L. precursor was served as the starting material for the production of nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) co-doped porous activated carbon, which was involved in high-temperature carbonization and KOH activation processes. The rotted Cucurbita pepo-derived activated carbon (RCPAC) showcases a remarkably elevated specific surface area of 2434 m(2) g(-1), while its micropore volume is 0.73 cm(3) g(-1). These inherent attributes offer a significant quantity of electroactive sites that effectively enable the electrochemical process of adsorption as well as the desorption of electrolyte ions. The RCPAC electrode demonstrates a notable specific capacitance value of 208 F g(-1) when subjected to the current density of 1 A g(-1). Furthermore, it retains >99 % of its original capacitance even after undergoing 10,000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g(-1). Moreover, a symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) consisting of RCPAC electrodes and 6 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte results in a significant specific capacitance of 55 F g(-1) at 0.25 A g(-1). The SSC demonstrates an impressive retention of capacitance, amounting to 85.6 %, even subsequent to enduring a substantial number of 8000 charge/discharge cycles. Additionally, an SSC was assembled using two undifferentiated RCPAC-6 electrodes in [BMIM]BF4/AN electrolyte. The SSC exhibits an impressive energy density of 92.25 Wh kg(-1), while simultaneously maintaining a power density of 374.9 Wh kg(-1). Furthermore, it demonstrates a capacitance retention surpassing 72.6 % subsequent to enduring 5000 cycles at 2 A g(-1). Our research elucidates a financially feasible methodology for the fabrication of porous carbon-based compounds, which exhibit immense potential for deployment in various energy conversion and storage.