Supercapacitors store energy, but the carbon inside them currently comes from oil. This project will make that carbon from plant waste instead. The problem is straightforward: most supercapacitors rely on petroleum-derived carbon, which is neither renewable nor environmentally friendly. Researchers have already shown that bio-based carbon materials can work, but they struggle to match the energy density needed for practical use. This project aims to solve that by synthesising new carbon materials from biomaterials, turning them into nanocomposite electrodes, and then assembling a fully biodegradable supercapacitor device that delivers both high energy density and high power density. If it succeeds, the impact would be felt across energy storage. Electric vehicles and portable electronics could use supercapacitors that are not only high-performing but also compostable at end of life. That would reduce reliance on fossil feedstocks and cut the environmental cost of disposal. The work targets a specific manufacturing bottleneck—finding bio-based carbon with novel properties that can be made through simple fabrication processes—rather than a fundamental scientific question. It is applied research aimed directly at a greener supply chain for energy storage components.
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Reliance on renewable energy sources and increased use of green solutions (e.g., electric vehicles) is one of the strategic actions for a sustainable environment in the face of increasing fossil fuel consumption and associated environmental impacts. Supercapacitors are one of the most developed and researched energy storage technologies and have gained enormous attention and acceptance due to their portability and stable performance. Carbon materials mainly used for supercapacitor development are usually made from petroleum-derived feedstocks which are non-renewable and environmentally harmful. Currently, bio-based carbon materials are being extensively researched for the development of supercapacitor materials due to their electrochemical stability and environmental friendliness. Despite the progress made so far in the development of bio-based carbon materials; the search for materials with novel properties and simple fabrication processes has become of great importance for the development of sustainable supercapacitors with high energy density. Therefore, this proposal has three specific objectives: (i) to synthesize new carbon materials suitable for supercapacitors from biomaterials (ii) to fabricate nanocomposite electrodes based on the developed bio-based carbon materials, and (iii) to fabricate a high-efficiency supercapacitor device based on the developed bio-based components. The fabricated supercapacitor device will be fully biodegradable and have the capacity to deliver both high energy density and power density. Therefore, the contributions of this project will be a great step towards solving the energy problems in the EU and beyond, through the development of green technologies for future advances in the production of electric vehicles and portable electronic products.
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