Fenton-pretreated cellulose-derived porous carbon electrodes with enhanced stability for supercapacitors

This study presents a Fenton treatment strategy for cellulose to prepare porous carbon by regulating the physicochemical properties of the carbon source, thereby enhancing the activation efficiency of potassium acetate (CH 3 COOK). Fenton treatment cleaves ether bonds in cellulose, yielding smaller particles with increased interfacial exposure and surface hydroxyl groups, which promote subsequent etching and pore formation during CH 3 COOK activation. This process results in a more graphite-like microcrystalline structure with improved electrical conductivity. Consequently, the specific surface area of the resulting PC-Fenton increases from 1115 to 1478 m 2 g −1 , accompanied by a notable rise in larger micropores, which facilitate electrolyte ion transport. The specific capacitance increases from 254 to 288 F g −1 in KOH and from 280 to 313.5 F g −1 in H 2 SO 4 . Furthermore, the electrode retains 95.8% of its initial capacitance after 20,000 cycles, far exceeding the 61.2% retention of directly carbonized carbon. This work offers a promising route for advanced carbon-based materials in energy storage applications.