Synthesis and Supercapacitor Performance of Boron‐Doped Phenolic Resin‐Based Mesoporous Carbon

Abstract

Abstract The introduction of electron‐donating heteroatoms into mesoporous carbon is a strategy to significantly alter the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. In this study, boron‐doped mesoporous carbon spheres are synthesized by a high‐temperature hydrothermal method, and boric acid is added during micro polymerization of phenol‐formaldehyde resin microspheres to introduce boron atoms into the carbon backbone. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations and N 2 adsorption tests verify the formation of a large number of mesopores in the porous carbon microspheres. The boron‐doped mesoporous carbon has a specific surface area of 1458 m 2 g −1 . It possesses a specific capacitance in the three‐electrode regime of 212.65 F g −1 (at 0.5 A g −1 ) in the three‐electrode system. The supercapacitor device provided an energy density of 6.9 Wh kg −1 at a power density of 149.9 W kg −1 . The capacitance retention after 5,000 cycles was 116.8%.