Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbons As Electrode Materials for High-Performance Supercapacitor and Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

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Abstract
Activated N-doped porous carbons (a-NCs) were synthesized by pyrolysis and alkali activation of graphene incorporated melamine formaldehyde resin (MF). The moderate N doping levels, mesopores rich porous texture, and incorporation of graphene enable the applications of a-NCs in surface and conductivity dependent electrode materials for supercapacitor and dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Under optimal activation temperature of 700 °C, the afforded sample, labeled as a-NC700, possesses a specific surface area of 1302 m2 g–1, a N fraction of 4.5%, and a modest graphitization. When used as a supercapacitor electrode, a-NC700 offers a high specific capacitance of 296 F g–1 at a current density of 1 A g–1, an acceptable rate capability, and a high cycling stability in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. As a result, a-NC700 supercapacitor delivers energy densities of 5.0–3.5 Wh kg–1 under power densities of 83–1609 W kg–1. Moreover, a-NC700 also demonstrates high electrocatalytic activity for I3– reduction. When employed as a counter electrode (CE) of DSSC, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.9% is achieved, which is comparable to that of the Pt CE based counterpart (7.1%). The excellent capacitive and photovoltaic performances highlight the potential of a-NCs in sustainable energy devices.
Funding Information
  • Xinxiang Municipality
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (61176004, 61204078, U1304505)
  • Henan Province (13IRTSTHN026, 15HASTIT006)

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