Crafting the architecture of biomass-derived activated carbon via electrochemical insights for supercapacitors: a review

Abstract

Escalating energy demands have often ignited ground-breaking innovations in the current era of electrochemical energy storage systems. Supercapacitors (SCs) have emerged as frontrunners in this regard owing to their exclusive features such ultra-high cyclic stability, power density, and ability to be derived from sustainable sources. Despite their promising attributes, they typically fail in terms of energy density, which poses a significant hindrance to their widespread commercialization. Hence, researchers have been exploring different cutting-edge technologies to address these challenges. This review focuses on biomass-derived activated carbon (BDAC) as a promising material for SCs. Initially, the methodology and key factors involved in synthesising BDAC, including crafting the building blocks of SCs, is detailed. Further, various conventional and novel material characterization techniques are examined, highlighting important insights from different biomass sources. This comprehensive investigation seeks to deepen our understanding of the properties of materials and their significance in various applications. Next, the architectural concepts of SCs, including their construction and energy storage mechanisms, are highlighted. Finally, the translation of the unravelled BDAC metrics into promising SCs is reviewed with comprehensive device-level visualisations and quantifications of the electrochemical performance of SCs using various techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge test (GCD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic tests (CT), voltage holding tests (VHT) and self-discharge tests (SDT). The review is concluded with a discussion that overviews peanut-shell-derived activated carbon as it is a common and promising source in our geographical setting. Overall, the review explores the current and futuristic pivotal roles of BDAC in the broad field of energy storage, especially in SC construction and commercialisation.