Fabrication of Hierarchical Lignin-Based Carbon through Direct High-Temperature Pyrolysis and Its Electrochemical Application

Green synthesis of lignin-based carbon materials can accelerate the development of energy storage and conversion in supercapacitors. In this work, hierarchical graphenelike carbon was prepared by alkali lignin (AL) pyrolysis at a high temperature of 1700 °C. Accompanied by metal salt catalysis and a nitrogen hybridization reaction, a unique nanostructure of graphitized ALC was obtained with both a well-ordered 2D sheet lamellar structure and a uniform bowl-like porous structure. ALC exhibited a graphenelike lattice structure, a BET specific surface area of 1190 m2·g-1, and excellent electrochemical performance (104 F·g-1/0.5 A·g-1). The study offers a prospective way to the high-value application of industrial lignin in supercapacitor electrode materials.