Synthesis of B, P, O Multi-Heteroatom Self-Doped Carbon Porous from Palm Leaves as Supercapacitor Electrode for Renewable Energy Development

Abstract

Synthesis of palm leaves (PL) biomass waste using the chemical activator ZnCl at various concentrations was carried out to obtain optimal physical and electrochemical conditions for the supercapacitor electrode. The research method used environmentally friendly and low-cost synthesis that is suitable for producing nanocarbon materials that have high value. Series of processing stages such particle refinement, chemical activation, and pyrolysis are carried out. This research focuses on the effect of adding concentrations of ZnCl2 (0.5, 0.7, and 0.9) M to produce nanocarbon materials with the best physicochemical characteristics. The research results show that the PL-ZnCl2-0.7 sample is in the best condition with a carbon percentage reaching 87.12% which is supported by the availability of multi-self-doping heteroatom oxygen (11.50%), phosphorus (0.28%), and boron (1.10%) which supports the emergence of properties pseudocapacity. The pore structure of nanoparticles in large quantities and reinforced by their amorphous nature is certainly a determining factor in optimizing their application in supercapacitors. Favorable conditions found in PL-ZnCl2-0.7 can enhance the specific capacitance from 59.6 F/g to 203 F/g, achieving a definite energy of 21.07 Wh/kg and a definite power of 112.75 W/kg, as observed in the GCD test. Electrochemical testing of PL-ZnCl2 samples was conducted within a voltage gap of 0 to 1 V at a current of 1 A, using a 1 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. The results of this research demonstrate the significant potential of PL waste as a supercapacitor electrode material for renewable energy storage development. This is particularly noteworthy due to the presence of a nanostructure and the doping of multiple heteroatoms, such as boron (B), phosphorus (P), and oxygen (O), which contribute to its competitive electrochemical performance.