Assembly of electric double-layer capacitors with hardwood kraft lignin-based electrodes and separator together with ionic liquid electrolyte

Nutthira Pakkang; Shiori Suzuki; Kengo Shigetomi; Yasumitsu Uraki

doi:10.1515/hf-2022-0143

Abstract

This study aimed to assemble a high-performance electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) using a hardwood kraft lignin (HKL)-based separator and HKL-based electrodes, which were fabricated from a nonwoven mat of electrospun HKL fibers. The separator was prepared by the thermostabilization of the mat derived from a mixed dope of HKL, hexamethylenetetramine, and polyethylene glycol (1.66/0.50/0.09, w/w) for electrospinning. Although a mat-type HKL-based electrode containing conductive carbon black (CB) has been reported to be suitable for a commercial cellulosic separator, this electrode was found to be unsuitable for the HKL-based separator because of its rough surface and poor contact with the separator interface. Hence, a powder-type electrode with a smooth surface was fabricated by grinding the mat, followed by casting with a carboxymethyl cellulose aqueous solution, and its EDLC possessed high energy (49 Wh kg⁻¹) and power densities (151 kW kg⁻¹). Moreover, to provide a simple process for electrode fabrication, another mat-type electrode was fabricated by adding CB to the mixed dope, followed by electrospinning, carbonization, and steam activation. The resultant EDLC exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with energy (58 Wh kg⁻¹) and power densities (55 kW kg⁻¹).

Keywords: electric double layer capacitor; electrode; kraft lignin; separator; supercapacitor

Corresponding author: Yasumitsu Uraki, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan, E-mail: uraki@for.agr.hokudai.ac.jp

Funding source: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Award Identifier / Grant number: JP19J22306

Funding source: Hokkaido University

Award Identifier / Grant number: Unassigned

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Machinery Lab. at the Hokkaido University Institute for Catalysis for preparing a container for the thermostabilization of the electrospun mats.

Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI [grant number: JP19J22306].
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

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Supplementary Material

The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/hf-2022-0143).

Received: 2022-09-14

Revised: 2022-11-16

Accepted: 2022-11-29

Published Online: 2022-12-15

Published in Print: 2023-02-23

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Supplementary Material