Facile synthesis of activated carbon derived from Eucalyptus globulus seed as efficient electrode material for supercapacitors

In the present study, activated carbon (AC) was prepared from Eucalyptus globulus seed (EGS) by a simple hydrothermal method followed by chemical activation using potassium hydroxide as the activating agent under different carbonization temperatures. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic analysis confirmed the amorphous and turbostratic disordered nature of the carbon. FT-IR analysis of the activated carbon samples shows the presence of N and O functional groups. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area analysis of EGS derived activated carbon at 900 °C showed the highest specific surface area of 2388.38 m2g−1 and exhibited a specific capacitance of 150 Fg−1. The appearance of small and large graphitic pores with random orientation and approximately 88.3 wt% of carbon and 11.7 wt% of oxygen were confirmed by SEM/EDX analyses. Further to understand the electrocatalytic nature of the synthesizing carbon, the material was tested as an electrode for supercapacitors. The electrochemical performance was demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance (EIS) studies. The electrochemical properties of EGS derived activated carbon demonstrate its potential application as high-performance and low-cost supercapacitor electrode material to fabricate energy storage devices. [Display omitted] •Eucalyptus globulus seed-derived carbon exhibited a specific surface area of 2388.38 m2g−1.•Exhibited a specific capacitance of 150 F g−1 comparable with other biomass derived carbon•An economically feasible electrode material for supercapacitor application