Photosensitive carbon supercapacitor: cavitated nanoporous carbon from iodine doped β-cyclodextryn

We have discovered a huge enhancement of the supercapacity (up to 4 times) under sun illumination of electrodes fabricated from cavitated nanoporous carbon being carbonized from an iodine doped beta-cyclodexryn. This effect was achieved even without a frequently used KOH treatment and is caused by enhancement of effective activated surfaces. The synthesized cavitated nanoporous carbon exhibits principally different accumulative features at the carbon/electrolyte interface. Relationship between the porous structure, electronic properties of supramolecular nanoporous carbon and enhanced supercapacitance is explored. The impedance spectroscopy measurements (Nyquist diagram) apparently suggest a capacitance mechanism for the energy accumulation. Enhancement of the supercapacity is explained by light-generated carriers in low-dimensional nano-interfaces in relevant mechanism an increasing concentration of delocalized electrons resulting in unlocking of the Helmholtz layer capacity.