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Hierarchical Porous Carbon-Carbon Dot Architecture as a High Energy Density Cathode for Lithium-Metal Capacitors
  • Gayathry Ganesh 1, 2,   
  • Gokul Raj Deivendran 3,   
  • Vaishak Sunil 1, 2,   
  • Izan Izwan Misnon 1, 2,   
  • Chun Chen Yang 3, 4,   
  • Rajan Jose 1, 2, 3, *

Received: 08 Dec 2024 | Revised: 19 Mar 2025 | Accepted: 24 Mar 2025 | Published: 26 Mar 2025

Abstract

Hybrid devices such as lithium-metal capacitors (LMC) are in rising demand and can simultaneously meet the requirements of energy storage devices with superior specific energy and high specific power. LMCs combine a lithium anode with high specific energy and an activated carbon cathode with high specific power. Biomass-derived porous carbon (BC) is an ideal candidate as cathode material and stands out for its tuneable porosity, sustainability, and low cost. However, the inherent limitations of BC in delivering optimal electrochemical performance necessitate using additives with superior electronic conductivity. In this study, we introduce functionalized carbon quantum dots (f-CDs), synthesized from biomass, as an effective additive to enhance the performance of BC. The physicochemical and electrochemical figures of merit of BC integrated with 7 wt.% f-CDs (BC@f-CD) were systematically compared with BC modified with 0.4 wt.% single walled carbon nanotube (BC@s-CNT). Electrochemical evaluations revealed that BC@f-CD exhibited a superior specific capacitance of approximately 191 F·g−1 within a 2–4.3 V voltage window. The nano-sized dimensions and functional groups of f-CDs significantly improved performance, enabling a remarkable 111% increase in specific energy. Additionally, BC@f-CD demonstrated excellent cycling stability, retaining ~86% of its initial capacity after 5000 cycles, outperforming traditional lithium-metal batteries. This study underscores the potential of f-CDs as a cost-effective and efficient alternative additive to s-CNTs that can enhance the performance of LMCs, providing a sustainable solution for advanced energy storage applications. 

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Supplementary Materials
DOI
10.53941/matsus.2025.100007
Issue
Volume 1, Issue 1
How to Cite
Ganesh, G.; Deivendran, G. R.; Sunil, V.; Misnon, I. I.; Yang, C. C.; Jose, R. Hierarchical Porous Carbon-Carbon Dot Architecture as a High Energy Density Cathode for Lithium-Metal Capacitors. Materials and Sustainability 2025, 1 (1), 7. https://doi.org/10.53941/matsus.2025.100007.
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