Poly(ethylene terephthalate)-based carbons as electrode material in supercapacitors

A systematic study by complementary techniques shows that PET-waste from plastic vessels is a competitive precursor of carbon electrodes for supercapacitors. PET derived-activated carbons follow the general trends observed for highly porous carbons and display specific capacitances at low current density as high as 197 F g−1 in 2 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte and 98 F g−1 in the aprotic medium 1 M (C2H5)4NBF4/acetonitrile. Additionally, high performance has also been achieved at high current densities, which confirms the potential of this type of materials for electrical energy storage.A new method based on the basic solvolysis of PET-waste and the subsequent carbonization seems to be an interesting alternative to obtain porous carbons with enhanced properties for supercapacitors.