Enhanced electrical capacitance of porous carbon nanofibers derived from polyacrylonitrile and boron trioxide

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) containing boron and nitrogen are prepared from polyacrylonitrile and boron trioxide (B2O3) by using simple electrospinning. The B2O3 introduction into a PAN solution causes a porous structure with stabilized [O]BN functional groups to develop in the processes of stabilization and carbonization. The pore structure and the functional groups such as B atoms and [O]BN introduce synergistic effects by not only increasing the power density but also the energy density, as shown by the results. The energy storage capabilities of the electrode prepared from 20 wt% B2O3 added to the PAN solution are as follows: a capacitance of 184.0 F g−1 and an energy density of 18.7–25.2 Wh kg−1 in the respective power density range of 400–10,000 W kg−1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Hence, these CNFs exhibit a very promising potential as electrode materials for electrical double-layer capacitors due to their unique microstructure and proper proportion of heteroatoms.