Efficient production of activated carbons from PET for organic supercapacitor applications: A single-step approach

•Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chips are direct converted into activated carbons.•The single-step method, which simultaneously carries out carbonization and activation, is explained.•PET-derived activated carbon synthesized in the single-step exhibits superior physical properties.•The single-step method is deemed suitable for synthesizing electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.•The method reported in this study represents possible a solution for the recycling of PET. This study introduces a novel approach for synthesizing supercapacitor electrode materials using polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic facing recycling challenges. Unlike conventional methods that involve separate carbonization and activation steps, we employ a single-step method. In this process, activated carbons are synthesized using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as an activating agent. Remarkably, the yield via the single-step method (S_PACXs) exceeds that of the two-step method (T_PACYs) by at least 1.7 times. During the single-step process, KOH forms a layer on the PET surface before activation, which leads to increased yields, higher specific surface areas, and more developed mesopores. Furthermore, S_PACXs exhibit superior specific surface areas compared to commercial activated carbon. These enhanced properties significantly improve electrochemical performance, with S_PACXs demonstrating superior performance compared to T_PACYs. Ultimately, this study validates the efficiency of the single-step method in producing high-quality activated carbon from PET, saving time and energy, and outperforming the two-step method. [Display omitted]