Waste-to-Wealth: Wheat-Based Porous Electrodes for Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices

Abstract

Energy production/storage as one of the world’s leading issues has been widely studied. This significant problem can be solved by using disposable/low-cost biomass materials. Electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices including supercapacitors, rechargeable batteries, and hybrid EES devices have been extensively developed in recent years. The EES devices have been recognized as a proper answer to the energy storage problem in the world. Numerous studies have been accomplished to develop biomass-based and biochar-based EES devices to decrease environmental pollution and production costs. The most important part of the EES devices are electrodes including the cathode and anode. According to recent studies, biochar-based electrodes have considerable electrochemical properties. Wheat is one of the most important parts of the human diet. The wheat wastes have amazing electrochemical properties to be used as a precursor of electrochemical energy storage (EES) electrodes including supercapacitors, batteries, and hybrid EES devices. The benign/low-cost wheat wastes especially wheat straw and wheat husk have been used to fabricate wheat-based biochar materials. The electrochemical properties of the wheat-based biochar electrodes (cathode and anode) in the EES devices have determined that these benign/low-cost EES electrodes reduce production costs and obtain acceptable electrochemical performance and environmentally friendly procedures.