Activated carbon prepared from PVDC by NaOH activation as electrode materials for high performance EDLCs with non-aqueous electrolyte

Mesoporous activated carbons with high surface area have been prepared from PVDC by NaOH activation for non-aqueous electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs). The BET surface area and pore volume of the carbon reach as high as 2675 m2 g−1 and 1.683 cm3 g−1, respectively. The pore size of the carbon distributes mainly in small mesopore of 2∼4 nm, which is ideal for non-aqueous electrolyte EDLCs. The unique microstructure features, i.e. very high surface area and optimized pore size make the carbon present both a high capacitance of 155 F/g and outstanding rate capability in non-aqueous electrolytes. As the current density increases to 18 000 mA/g, it remains 109 F/g, an attractive value for EDLCs.