Principal Component Analysis of Biomass-Derived Carbon Aerogels: Unveiling Key Performance Factors for Supercapacitor Applications

Khaled Younes (), Semaan Amine, Christina El Sawda, Samer El-Zahab, Jack Arayro, Rabih Mezher, Jalal Halwani, Baghdad Ouddane and Eddie Gazo-Hanna
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Khaled Younes: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait
Semaan Amine: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait
Christina El Sawda: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait
Samer El-Zahab: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait
Jack Arayro: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait
Rabih Mezher: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait
Jalal Halwani: Water and Environment Sciences Laboratory, Lebanese University, Tripoli P.O. Box 6573/14, Lebanon
Baghdad Ouddane: Laboratoire de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l’Environnement, University of Lille, UMR CNRS 8516 LASIRE, 59000 Lille, France
Eddie Gazo-Hanna: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: The demand for sustainable energy storage solutions has led to increased interest in biomass-derived carbon aerogels as electrode materials for supercapacitors. These materials offer a high surface area, tunable porosity, and excellent electrochemical properties while utilizing renewable and waste biomass sources. This study evaluates the electrochemical performance of various biomass-based carbon aerogels, including those derived from cellulose, lignin, chitosan, and biomass waste, to identify key factors influencing supercapacitor efficiency. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is employed to systematically analyze the relationships between structural and electrochemical properties, such as the specific surface area, specific capacitance, capacity retention, rate capability, energy density, and power density. The PCA results indicate that the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) explain 58.20% of the total variance, with capacity retention (26.22%), energy density (19.55%), and specific capacitance (18.48%) identified as the most critical quantitative factors influencing supercapacitor performance. Chitosan-derived carbon aerogels exhibit superior capacitance and energy density, with a specific capacitance reaching up to 1074 F/g and energy density of 40.18 Wh/kg, whereas lignin-based aerogels demonstrate a high structural stability and capacity retention (up to 97.4%). Biomass waste-derived aerogels, despite their lower performance (176–298.6 F/g capacitance, 81.6–91.7% retention), provide cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternatives. This quantitative analysis offers valuable insights into the rational design of high-performance, biomass-based aerogels, contributing significantly to the development of sustainable energy storage technologies.

Keywords: biomass-derived aerogels; supercapacitor; electrochemical performance; sustainable energy storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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