Exfoliated carbon fibers as an electrode for electric double layer capacitors in a 1 mol/dm3 H2SO4 electrolyte Original Research Article

Exfoliated carbon fibers (ExCFs) synthesized through the rapid heating of intercalation compounds of carbon fibers were examined as electrodes of electric double layer capacitors (EDLC). The measurement of EDLC was performed using a standard three-electrode cell with 1 mol/dm3 sulfuric acid electrolyte. The capacitance of as-prepared ExCFs reached 117 F/g, even though they had a relativity small surface area of about 330 m2/g. After air activation of ExCFs, the BET surface area increased slightly, but the capacitance of the EDLC increased up to 160 F/g. Capacitance of ExCFs strongly depended on their BET surface area, having a different dependence from that reported on activated carbon fibers.