Sustainable process for all-carbon electrodes: Horticultural doping of natural-resource-derived nano-carbons for high-performance supercapacitors

We demonstrate a novel chemical synthesis and functional doping process of vertical graphene nanosheets and other nano-carbons using natural precursors. The all-carbon electrodes are synthesized via the plasma reformation of natural fats and functionalized by microwave-assisted doping using leaf extracts from a variety of horticultural plants such as bok choy, chrysanthemum, and spinach. The resulting nanostructures possess a high loading of electrochemically active dopants and a desirable morphology for energy storage. This combination enables the electrodes to exhibit excellent supercapacitor performance.