Abstract
Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have been widely used in electrochemical energy storage devices because of their excellent conductivity, extremely large surface area and structural stability. Herein, we obtained a viscous, liquefied bio-stalk carbon via the simple chemical treatment of biomass, and mixed it with polyacrylonitrile to prepare a spinning solution. Subsequent electrospinning and high temperature activation resulted in the successful preparation of liquefied lignin-based activated carbon nanofibers. The as-prepared liquefied bio-stalk carbon nanofibers exhibited an outstanding electrochemical performance (specific capacitance of 273 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1) current density), and a capacitance retention of 210 F g(-1) even under a large current density of 10 A g(-1). Besides its high specific capacitance and outstanding rate capability, the symmetrical supercapacitor cell based on the liquefied carbon-based nanofiber electrodes also exhibited an excellent cycling performance with 92.76% capacitance retention after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. This study provides a new strategy for the future development of supercapacitor electrode materials and enhances the development of biomass energy.