Multi-heteroatom self-doped carbon nanofibers derived from the leaves of Artocarpus Camansi for high-performance supercapacitors

Abstract

The preference for using biomass capable of producing multi-heteroatom self-doping on carbon nanofiber surfaces continues to be comprehensively explored due to its potential to improve the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. In this study, we designed a carbon electrode based on kluwih (Artocarpus camansi) leaves that are naturally doped with multi-heteroatom (O-S-P) and formed a nanofiber network through a dual activation and direct pyrolysis strategy. The initial activation step used a combination of KOH and melamine to trigger nanofiber formation, while heteroatoms were derived intrinsically from the biomass. The second activation was carried out at 800°C after carbon purification at 600°C, resulting in KL-05 material with tri-heteroatom-doped carbon nanofibers evenly distributed on the carbon matrix. In a two-electrode symmetrical cell configuration with H₂SO₄ electrolyte, KL-05 achieved a specific capacitance of 408 F/g and a power density of 483 W/kg. This research introduces a new approach to produce naturally doped carbon nanofibers from local biomass, which opens up opportunities for the development of sustainable electrode materials for energy storage applications in green supercapacitors.