Fabrication of symmetric supercapacitors based on MOF-derived nanoporous carbons

Nanoporous carbon (NPC) materials with high specific surface area have attracted considerable attention for electrochemical energy storage applications. In the present work, we have designed novel symmetric supercapacitors based on NPC by direct carbonization of Zn-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) without using an additional precursor. By controlling the reaction conditions in the present study, we synthesized NPC with two different particle sizes. The effects of particle size and mass loadings on supercapacitor performance have been carefully evaluated. Our NPC materials exhibit excellent electrochemical performance with a maximum specific capacitance of 251 F g-1 in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. The symmetric supercapacitor studies show that these efficient electrodes have good capacitance, high stability, and good rate capability. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.