Abstract:
In this study, porous activated carbons (AC) were synthesized by an environmentally friendly technique
involving chemical activation and carbonization, with an in-depth experimental study carried out to
understand the electrochemical behaviour in different aqueous electrolytes (KOH, LiCl, and Na2SO4). The
electrochemical performance of the AC electrode was evaluated by different techniques such as cyclic
voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge and impedance spectroscopy. The results obtained
demonstrate that the AC materials in different electrolytes exhibit unique double layer properties. In
particular, the AC electrode tested in 6 M KOH showed the best electrochemical performance in terms
of specific capacitance and efficiency. A specific capacitance of 129 F g 1 was obtained at 0.5 A g 1 with
a corresponding solution resistance of 0.66 U in an operating voltage window of 0.8 V, with an
efficiency of 100% at different current densities.
