Chapter 10: Biomass-derived Highly Porous Carbon for High-rate Supercapacitors: Advances and Limitations

Energy depletion and environmental degradation have prompted researchers to investigate novel and green energy conversion and storage technologies in recent decades. In this context, carbonaceous materials developed from biomass are identified as one of the most intriguing electrodes for high-rate energy storage materials owing to their prevalent resources, cost effectiveness, sustainability, and ecologically benign characteristics. The chapter provides a thorough assessment of current advances in the growth of biomass derived porous carbon-based electrode materials using agricultural and animal waste with an emphasis on their electrochemical performance capability for high performance supercapacitor applications. Several synthesis processes for biomass waste conversion and activation have been explored. We discuss the research gaps that would need future study to produce innovative high-rate supercapacitor electrode materials from biomass derived porous carbon.