Activated carbons produced from depleted fullerene soot by carbon dioxide activation and their electrochemical properties

Activated carbons (ACs) were prepared by CO2 activation using depleted fullerene soot as precursor. The structure of the ACs was investigated by TEM, XRD, and nitrogen adsorption. Their electrochemical properties in electrochemical capacitors were tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge methods in a three-electrode cell. Activation temperature and time were proved to be key parameters in controling the development of porosity and surface area of the ACs. The ACs have an excellent electrochemical performance with fast charge/discharge characteristics. AC activated at 1173 K for 2 h exhibits an excellent electrochemical performance even at a high scanning rate of 400 mV s−1 with a quasi-rectangular CV curve and its specific capacitance is up to 126 F · g−1 at a high current density of 4 A g−1. arbon Materials 2013, 29(1): 55–60]