Sustainable carbonization of biomass: Spathodea campanulata leaves as a promising source for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

Abstract

With the global push towards sustainable and efficient energy storage technologies, the development of high-performance, bio-derived carbon materials has become crucial. In the current investigation, we employed a facile approach to synthesize functional carbon directly from Spathodea campanulata leaves (SPL) through a combined pyrolysis and carbonization process, neglecting the need for external activation. This technique, applicable to a broad range of dried biomass forms, offers a simplified method for generating carbon materials suitable for energy storage systems, specifically supercapacitors. The synthesized carbon electrode samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performance of the resulting functional carbon electrode materials from SPL was evaluated through cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge and discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance analysis in a 1 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte using a three-electrode system. Among the samples, the SPL-900 electrode material demonstrated the most favorable capacitance performance, reaching 318 F/g. These outcomes underscore the efficacy of our methodology in producing high-capacitance electrode materials from functionally carbonized SPL, showcasing its potential application in supercapacitors. The study highlights the successful synthesis of porous functional carbon from SPL, illustrating its viability as a raw material for supercapacitor applications.

Graphical abstract