Flash Synthesis of Cellulose-derived Porous Carbon for Electrochemical Energy Storage

doi:10.11901/1005.3093.2026.090

Chinese Journal of Materials Research

2026, Vol. 40

Issue (7): 535-542 DOI: 10.11901/1005.3093.2026.090

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Flash Synthesis of Cellulose-derived Porous Carbon for Electrochemical Energy Storage

WANG Na¹(

), LAN Zhonghua¹, QU Jinmeng¹, LIU Yanyun¹, LI Wanxi¹(

), LIU Huichao²(

), FENG Liping³

^1.Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Jinzhong University, Jinzhong 030619, China
^2.Department of Chemistry, Xinzhou Normal University, Xinzhou 034000, China
^3.Shanxi Institute of Economic Management, Taiyuan 030024, China

Cite this article:

WANG Na, LAN Zhonghua, QU Jinmeng, LIU Yanyun, LI Wanxi, LIU Huichao, FENG Liping. Flash Synthesis of Cellulose-derived Porous Carbon for Electrochemical Energy Storage. Chinese Journal of Materials Research, 2026, 40(7): 535-542.

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Abstract

Biomass-derived carbon materials are promising electrode materials for new energy storage devices due to their wide availability, low cost, and tunable structures. However, conventional synthesis methods are often complex, energy-intensive, and time-consuming. This study reports a molten salt-assisted flash Joule heating strategy for the rapid and efficient preparation of porous carbon from cellulose. In contrast to carbon derived from conventional tube furnace pyrolysis, the flash Joule heated carbon possesses a hierarchical porous structure, which facilitates charge storage and rapid ion transport. Furthermore, it exhibits a higher concentration of oxygen functional groups and defects. Electrochemical analysis in a three-electrode system confirmed that the flash Joule heated carbon delivers a superior specific capacity and enhanced reaction kinetics. To demonstrate its practical application potential, symmetric supercapacitors and zinc-ion hybrid capacitors were assembled using this material, both of which exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance. This work highlights the great potential of flash Joule heating as a universal strategy for converting biomass into high-value carbon materials for diverse energy storage applications.

Key words: inorganic non-metallic materials cellulose flash Joule heating porous carbon supercapacitor zinc-ion capacitor

Received: 06 January 2026

ZTFLH:

TB383

Fund: Shanxi Scholarship Council of China(2025-205);Jinzhong University Research Funds for Doctor(23E00042);Shanxi Province New Multifunctional Glass Technology Innovation Center, Shanxi Province Higher Education Science and Technology Innovation Project(2025L172)

Corresponding Authors: WANG Na, Tel: 15835111898, E-mail: wangna_jzxy@163.com;
LI Wanxi, Tel: 13613410452, E-mail: liwanxi1986@163.com;
LIU Huichao, Tel: 15536640421, E-mail: 15536640421@163.com

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	WANG Na
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	LIU Yanyun
	LI Wanxi
	LIU Huichao
	FENG Liping

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https://www.cjmr.org/EN/10.11901/1005.3093.2026.090 OR https://www.cjmr.org/EN/Y2026/V40/I7/535

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the preparation of cellulose-derived porous carbon materials and device assembly

Fig.2 SEM (a, d, g) and TEM (b, c, e, f, h, i) images of TFC-511 (a-c)、FJH-black (d-f), and FJH-511 (g-i)

Fig.3 N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms (a), pore size distribution plots (b), Raman spectra (c), XPS survey spectra (d), C 1s spectra (e), O 1s spectra (f), and XRD patterns (g) of the three carbon materials

Fig.4 CV curves (a), GCD curves (b), the specific capacitance of the electrodes at different current densities (c), EIS curves (d), fitting curves of Z'-ω^-1/2 (e), relationship between phase angle and frequency (f) of three carbon materials in a three-electrode system

Fig.5 CV curves (a), GCD curves (b), specific capacity plot (c), Ragone plot (d), EIS plot (e), and cycling stability plot (f) of the supercapacitor assembled with FJH-511

Fig.6 Schematic diagram of the ZICs assembled with FJH-511 (a), CV curves (b), capacitive and diffusion contribution ratios at 50 mV·s^-1 (c), capacitive and diffusion contribution ratios at different scan rates (d), GCD curves (e), specific capacity plot (f), cycling stability plot (g), CV curves (h) and GCD curves (i) of ZICs connected in series and parallel

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