Scalable processing method using waste polystyrene to produce nitrogen-enriched porous carbon for boosting supercapacitor performance

Abstract

A high-efficiency rational design of a durable material produced from waste materials for sustainable energy generation and storage systems is a formidable challenge. This paper describes the large-scale synthesis of nitrogen-doped porous carbon (PS-C) from waste polystyrene with a short processing time using the thermal plasma method. The as-synthesized PS-C exhibited an electrochemical capacitance of 482 Fg(1) at a current density of 1 Ag-1 and a capacitance retention of 95% at a current density of 6 Ag-1 after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. This reported specific capacitance and cyclic performance are attributed to the morphology, nitrogen doping, and structural integrity resulting from the synergy of the material. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.