Can Aqueous Na 2 SO 4 -Based Neutral Electrolyte Increase Energy Density of Monolithic Wood Biochar Electrode Supercapacitor?

Long Ye, Tianjie Feng, Donald W. Kirk and Charles Q. Jia ()
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Long Ye: The Green Technologies Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada
Tianjie Feng: The Green Technologies Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada
Donald W. Kirk: The Green Technologies Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada
Charles Q. Jia: The Green Technologies Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-20

Abstract: The performance of supercapacitors is significantly influenced by both the nature and the concentration of the electrolyte employed. This study investigates the impact of a neutral electrolyte on the electrochemical properties of the maple-derived monolithic wood biochar (MWB)–sodium sulfate (Na 2 SO 4 ) supercapacitor. The goal is to determine if a neutral electrolyte, in this case Na 2 SO 4 , can increase the supercapacitor energy density compared to a previous study employing a KOH electrolyte. Starting from examining the ion sizes and conductivities of salt species in KOH and Na 2 SO 4 electrolytes, the difference in voltage window, measured specific capacitance, and resistance are discussed. By switching the electrolyte from 4 M KOH to 0.5/1 M Na 2 SO 4 , the voltage stability window was extended from 0.8 V to 1.4 V. For 1 M Na 2 SO 4 , the supercapacitor attains a specific capacitance of 46 F/g at 5 mA/g, accompanied by an energy density of 12.5 Wh/kg and a maximum power density of 300 W/kg. The MWB electrode, derived from naturally abundant wood, when combined with the non-toxic Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte, offers an environmentally friendly and cost-effective energy storage solution. With a prolonged lifetime and minimal maintenance requirements, MWB-Na 2 SO 4 supercapacitors emerge as a promising choice for diverse applications.

Keywords: electrical energy storage; monolithic wood biochar; neutral electrolyte (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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