Jute-derived microporous/mesoporous carbon with ultra-high surface area using a chemical activation process

Abstract

Here, we report the synthesis of nanoporous carbons (NCs) derived from a low-cost and renewable biomass, jute, by a chemical activation process using KOH. Jute is one of the least expensive and most abundant crops, with a staggering 2.8 million metric tons of jute produced each year. In this study, we synthesize NCs from three different parts of jute fibers through a chemical activation technique using KOH. The NCs prepared from the bottom portion of the fiber show a high surface area (2682 m2 g−1) with the presence of both micropores and mesopores. The ultra-high surface area of jute makes it an economically viable, environmentally friendly precursor for NCs, with a wide variety of applications from energy storage to environmental and biomedical applications.