Naturally three-dimensional laminated porous carbon network structured short nano-chains bridging nanospheres for energy storage

Abstract

The electrode material is the core component of an energy storage system and determines the ultimate electrochemical performance. There is an urgent demand for carbon nanomaterials with unique structures for applications as the anode of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitor electrodes. Here, we synthesize three-dimensional laminated porous carbon aerogels (CAs), composed of carbon nanospheres bridged with short carbon chains, by using simple annealing processes inspired by the natural structure of the kiwifruit as a precursor. The carbon material obtained at 800 °C (CA-800) exhibits a high lithium storage capacity (504.8 mA h g⁻¹ at 100 mA g⁻¹) and specific capacitance (337.4 F g⁻¹ in the three-electrode electrochemical configuration and 322.9 F g⁻¹ in a symmetric two-electrode supercapacitor cell at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹). Moreover, extensible and flexible symmetric supercapacitors obtained using CA-800 display stable electrochemical performance after a folding test with different curvatures and even 10 000 cycles of a bending test. This study considers a fascinating route of producing excellent electrode materials and energy storage devices derived from inexpensive, sustainable, and available natural resources.