Catalytic HTL-derived biochar and sol-gel synthesized (Mn,Ti)-oxides for asymmetric supercapacitors

In this study, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL)-derived biochar is investigated as electrode material with sol-gel-derived (Mn, Ti)-oxide electrode for asymmetric supercapacitor. To generate biochar, pinewood flour was used as an example biomass feedstock for HTL, which was carried out at 300°C and 1500 psi for 1 hour in the absence and presence of the Ni-nitrate (Ni[NO₃]₂.6H₂O) catalyst. After HTL, different products were analyzed by TOC analyzer, HPLC, and GCMS, and mass yield/carbon balance was determined. Solid residue recovered after HTL or catalytic HTL (CHTL) was thermally treated at 400°C for 2 hours to obtain biochar, which was characterized using BET surface area analyzer and SEM/EDX, and utilized as one of the electrodes. To fabricate asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC), (Mn,Ti)-oxide electrode material was synthesized using sol-gel technique with Mn:Ti precursor ratio of 30:70 wt%. As-synthesized gels were aged, dried, and calcined with a 2-step heating process (step-1: heating to 500°C and cooling to 50°C, and step-2: heating to 1000°C with soak time of 2 hours and cooling to 50°C), which were characterized by powdered X-ray diffraction and BET analysis. Asymmetric supercapacitors were fabricated with HTL/CHTL derived biochar/(Mn,Ti)-oxide electrodes and KOH electrolyte, and tested with cyclic voltammetry to determine specific capacitance. ASC fabricated with CHTL-derived biochar electrode showed a higher specific capacitance of 187 F/g.