Preparation of Chitosan-Based Activated Carbon and Its Electrochemical Performance for EDLC

Chitosan-based activated carbon with high specific surface area (approximately 3500 m(2)/g) was obtained by a two-step activation process. The effects of preparation parameters such as the impregnation ratio, activation temperature and activation time on the surface area and pore structure of those chitosan-based activated carbons were studied by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. The crystallinity degree of the samples was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and the surface morphology of char and activated carbon was observed using TEM. And the cyclic voltammetry measurement showed that the activated carbon with highest surface area exhibited a super capacitance of 338 F/g at the scan rate of 2 mV/s, and the corresponding charge-discharge curves were symmetrical triangle, indicating that the electrode material obtained at the optimum conditions has good performance in electrochemical stability and reversibility. (C) 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.