Mesoporous carbon molecular sieves are well-known for their high surface area and high graphene content that is important for conductivity, making them ideal for supercapacitors.  Unfortunately, mesoporous carbon sieves are generally made in a powder form.  In order to be used in a coin cell type supercapacitor, a binder must be added, which lowers its capacitance.  We have developed a novel method of preparing mesoporous carbon in a paper form using a technique called electrospinning, which allows a liquid precursor to be �spun� into solid fibers.  Using this technique, we can prepare thin sheets of mesoporous carbon nanofibers that can be easily handled, hence doing away with the need for a binder.  SEM images showed that the carbonized fibers maintained its morphology, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of sp2 hybridized graphene sheets.  Preliminary results for the fabrication and testing of coin cell type supercapacitor devices will also be presented.

Mesoporous carbon fibers via electrospinning

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.