Partially graphitized ordered mesoporous carbons for high-rate supercapacitors

Partially graphitized ordered mesoporous carbons have been prepared with a soft template method using low-molecular-weight phenolic resol as a carbon source, triblock copolymer F127 as a template, and ferric citrate as a graphitization catalyst. N2 sorption and transmission electron microscopy analysis show that the ordered mesoporous carbons have been partially graphitized when the carbonization temperature is above 700 °C. The graphitic ordered mesoporous carbons exhibit better rate performance than amorphous ordered mesoporous carbons. The specific capacitance of the graphitic ordered mesoporous carbons (GOMCs) prepared at 700 °C reaches to 112 F g−1 at a scan rate of up to 1,000 mV s−1. Its capacitance retention ratio is 64 %, which is much higher than that of the amorphous ordered mesoporous carbons prepared at 600 °C (33 %). High electronic conductivity and ordered mesoporous structure lead to the high electrochemical performance of the partially graphitized ordered mesoporous carbons.