Parthenium hysterophorus derived activated carbon for EDLC device application

This work reports on the synthesis of activated carbons (AC) using Parthenium hysterophorus (PH) as the precursor for use in electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). PH is abundantly available in Southern India, the northeast, and western Himalaya, India, making it a cost-effective option for AC synthesis. The AC was synthesized by carbonizing the PH precursor, chemically activating with ZnCl 2 , and thermally activating in an ambient environment at high temperature. The resulting AC exhibited a high surface area and porosity, with a specific surface area of 573.6 m 2 g −1 , a pore diameter of 3.16 nm, and a pore volume of 0.10 cm 3 g −1 . The electrochemical performance of the ACs as electrodes in EDLCs was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The EDLC produced using Parthenium hysterophorus Activated Carbon exhibited a specific capacitance of 691 Fg −1 , and retained 92.7% of its capacity after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles. These findings suggest that PH is a promising precursor for the synthesis of ACs with excellent electrochemical properties for EDLC applications.