In-suit Mg(OH)2 template synthesis of nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials from glutinous rice for supercapacitors with excellent electrochemical performance

In the present study, a new biomass-derived multilayer graphene-like low dimensional carbon material was prepared through the facile one-step carbonization of glutinous rice without conventional KOH chemical activation at 900 °C in an argon atmosphere. The formation of disordered microporous and mesoporous on carbon, the high specific surface area of 1,371.50 m2 g−1, and the pore volume of 2.351 cm3 g−1 were confirmed by N2 adsorption and desorption. As a merit of its favorable structural features, the graphene-like carbon electrode exhibits an enhanced electric double layer capacitance (high specific capacitance of 289.9 F g−1 and 174 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and 10 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability of 88% after 20,000 cycles at a current density of 8 A g−1. This observed electrochemical performance clearly indicates that activated carbon derived from glutinous rice could be used as a promising electrode material in a supercapacitor for electrochemical energy storage.