Optimizing CO2 Activation Duration for Enhanced Electrochemical Performance in Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber Supercapacitors
摘要
This study systematically investigates the effect of CO2 activation duration (0-60 min at 900 °C) on electrospun polyacrylonitrile-derived carbon nanofibers (CNFs) for supercapacitor electrodes. The results reveal a nonlinear relationship between activation time and structural evolution. An intermediate duration of 50 min (CNF50) optimizes the microstructure, yielding the lowest ID/IG ratio, the highest sp2/sp3 carbon ratio, and a maximized microporous surface area of 658 m2 g−1. These characteristics enhance electrical conductivity and provide abundant ion-accessible sites. Consequently, the CNF50 electrode achieves a superior specific capacitance of 151.65 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, which represents a threefold improvement over non-activated CNFs. Furthermore, CNF50 demonstrates outstanding cycling stability, retaining 93.86% of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles. Electrochemical impedance analysis confirms that performance stems from the synergistic optimization of pore architecture and electronic transport. These findings identify CO2 activation duration as a critical parameter for designing high-performance and scalable carbon electrodes for sustainable energy storage.