Speaker
Description
Abstract
In This study focuses on the synthesis of activated carbon derived from pistachio shells through chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH). The raw biomass was carbonized and activated at three different temperatures: 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C, to investigate the influence of activation temperature on the structural and electrochemical properties. Characterization techniques, including BET surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), were employed to evaluate porosity, surface morphology, and crystallinity. The activated carbon samples demonstrated a high surface area and well-developed porous structures, which are essential for efficient charge storage. Electrochemical measurements were carried out using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) to determine specific capacitance and cycling stability. Among the tested samples, the carbon activated at 800 °C exhibited superior capacitance and excellent stability, making it a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. This work highlights pistachio shells as a sustainable and low-cost precursor for energy storage applications.
Keywords:
Activated carbon, Pistachio shells, KOH activation, Supercapacitors, Porosity, Biomass-derived carbon, Electrochemical performance
References:
1. Sevilla, M., & Mokaya, R. (2014). Energy storage applications of activated carbons: supercapacitors and hydrogen storage. Energy & Environmental Science, 7(4), 1250–1280.
2. Wang, D. W., Li, F., Liu, M., Lu, G. Q., & Cheng, H. M. (2008). 3D aperiodic hierarchical porous graphitic carbon material for high-rate electrochemical capacitive energy storage. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 47(2), 373–376.
3. Zhang, L. L., & Zhao, X. S. (2009). Carbon-based materials as supercapacitor electrodes. Chemical Society Reviews, 38(9), 2520–2531.
Bio:
Khadija Mohammed is a PhD student at the University of South Africa (UNISA), specializing in the development of advanced nanocarbon materials for next-generation energy storage devices. She earned her B.Sc. Honours in Physics from Sudan University of Science and Technology and later completed her Master’s degree in Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Her doctoral research focuses on biomass-derived carbon materials, with a current project on synthesizing pistachio-based carbon at different temperatures (600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C) to investigate their structural, thermal, and electrochemical properties for supercapacitor electrodes. She has also served as a university teaching assistant in physics practicals, gaining academic and laboratory supervision experience.
Her broader research interests include nanomaterials, renewable energy storage, sustainable carbon technologies, and interface engineering in electrochemical devices.
