Efficient electrode material for electrochemical energy storage from organic waste

Heteroatom functionalities in activated carbons have a positive effect on their electrochemical properties. High surface area, reasonable heteroatom content, and high conductivity are highly appealing for energy storage applications, and imparting all three attributes in a single material is still a formidable task. In this work, this task is addressed by using a routinely discarded protein-rich biomass human hair. It offers a unique prospect as a single precursor for heteroatoms and carbon. Highly functional N and S-co-doped carbons generated by pyrolysis at 800, 900, and 1000 °C yield variable degree of heteroatoms, surface areas, and conductivities. When applied as an electrode material for Li-ion battery and supercapacitor, interestingly, the carbon generated at 900 °C shows better electrochemical performance over its counterparts. A correlative analysis of the structural features and performance is presented.