Pistachio Waste-Derived Activated Carbon Materials for Sustainable Energy Storage: Supercapacitor Applications

Abstract

This study explores the potential of utilizing pistachio waste which is of low-cost and eco-friendly precursor for the synthesis of activated carbon for supercapacitor applications. Pistachio shells, a common agricultural waste product, were subjected to a controlled pyrolysis process followed by the activation to produce activated carbon materials. The resulting activated carbon was characterized by using various analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical testing. The electrochemical performance of the pistachio waste-derived activated carbon was evaluated through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) measurements. The pistachio waste-derived activated carbon exhibits excellent capacitive behaviour, with a high specific capacitance and good cycling stability. The use of agricultural waste-derived activated carbon not only addresses the environmental concerns but also contributes to the development of green energy storage solutions.