Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Waste asphalt is successfully converted into hierarchically porous carbon (HPC) with a high surface area of 1943.4 m²/g, enabling high-performance electrocatalytic hydrogen gas capacitors (EHGCs). • The HPC-based EHGC operates in pH-universal aqueous electrolytes, achieving specific energy/power densities of 57 Wh/kg and 554 W/kg in neutral, and 52 Wh/kg and 657 W/kg in acidic electrolytes. • The device exhibits excellent stability with 100% capacitance retention over 20,000 cycles at 10 A/g in acidic electrolyte, outperforming commercial materials. • This work provides a sustainable solution by repurposing waste asphalt, simultaneously addressing environmental waste issues and advancing next-generation energy storage technology.
Abstract
Along with the surging demand for energy storage devices, the cost and availability of the materials remain dominant factors in slowing down their industrial application. The repurposing of waste asphalt into high-performance electrode materials is of significant interest, as it holds the potential to circumvent energy and environmental issues. Here, we report the controllable synthesis of asphalt-derived mesoporous carbon as an active material for electrocatalytic hydrogen gas capacitor (EHGC). The hierarchically porous carbon (HPC) with a high surface area of 1943.4 m2·g−1 can operate in pH universal aqueous electrolytes in EHGC. It displays a specific energy and power density of 57 Wh·kg−1 and 554 W·kg−1 in neutral electrolyte as well as 52 Wh·kg−1 and 657 W·kg−1 in acidic electrolyte. Additionally, the charge storage mechanism of HPC–EHGC is studied with the help of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, the assembled HPC–EHGC device displays a discharge capacitance of 170 F·g−1 with an excellent capacitance retention rate of 100% up to 20000 cycles at 10 A·g−1 in acidic electrolyte. This work introduces a novel approach to converting waste asphalt into high-performance carbon for EHGC, achieving superior performance over commercial materials. By simultaneously addressing environmental waste issues and advancing energy storage technology, this study makes a significant contribution to sustainable materials science and next-generation battery development.
1. Introduction
Rechargeable batteries have emerged as an alternating solution to confront bottleneck challenges in efficaciously harnessing energy from renewable resources [1–2]. Recent advances have integrated wearable and intelligent electronic devices into our daily life significantly. The rapid proliferation of electronics urged for well-matched energy systems. Owing to the advantage of high energy density, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) hold a major portion of the world energy market [3]. However, safety concerns and poor ionic conductivity of flammable organic electrolytes cannot be overlooked [4–5]. In contrast, aqueous batteries are recognized as a favorable alternative due to their affordability, safety, eco-friendliness, and excellent ionic conductivity offered by aqueous electrolytes [6]. Among them, the aqueous zinc system manifests an excellent theoretical capacity of 820 mAh·g−1 and a low redox potential of zinc (Zn) metal anodes [7–9]. Despite their excellence, the occurrence of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), corrosion, and dendrite growth at the Zn metal anode limits their wide range of applications [10]. Hence, the imperative lies in crafting high-energy storage systems that balance durability and power performance, a pivotal factor in their successful integration into energy storage applications.
The growing interest in electrocatalytic hydrogen gas capacitors (EHGCs) stems from their ability to combine the advantages of hydrogen gas batteries and capacitors [11]. Hydrogen’s natural abundance, light weight, rapid kinetics, and low electrochemical overpotential make it an ideal candidate for energy storage [12–14]. Additionally, H2 gas electrodes exhibit exceptional versatility, operating across a wide pH range from 0 to 14 [15]. Despite notable progress in hydrogen gas-based batteries, current cathode materials are plagued by dissolution and accumulation issues, which hinder the performance of these materials [14,16–21]. Researchers are now focusing on designing EHGCs that leverage hydrogen gas’ benefits while preserving energy density and extending cycle life. For example, Zhu et al. [11] developed a hybrid EHGC using hydrogen gas anodes and carbon cathodes, achieving a specific capacitance of 295 F·g−1 and a specific energy of 45 Wh·kg−1, which is 4.5 times higher than that of conventional electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs). However, challenges remain in improving energy and power densities, prompting ongoing efforts to identify high-capacity electrode materials for superior energy storage.
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Touqeer Ahmad, Zhengxin Zhu, Muhammad Sajid, Weiping Wang, Yirui Ma, Mohsin Ali, Nawab Ali Khan, Shuang Liu, Zuodong Zhang, Wei Chen (2025). Waste asphalt derived hierarchically porous carbon for high-performance electrocatalytic hydrogen gas capacitors. Int. Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (矿物冶金与材料学报). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-025-3098-6
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main innovation of this research?
The main innovation is the conversion of waste asphalt into hierarchically porous carbon (HPC) with a high surface area, which serves as an active material for electrocatalytic hydrogen gas capacitors (EHGCs). This approach not only provides a high-performance electrode material but also addresses environmental waste issues, contributing to sustainable energy storage.
What are the key performance metrics of the HPC-based EHGC?
The HPC-based EHGC achieves specific energy and power densities of 57 Wh/kg and 554 W/kg in neutral electrolyte, and 52 Wh/kg and 657 W/kg in acidic electrolyte. It also exhibits a discharge capacitance of 170 F/g with 100% capacitance retention over 20,000 cycles at 10 A/g in acidic electrolyte.
How does the HPC material operate in different electrolytes?
The HPC material operates in pH-universal aqueous electrolytes, meaning it can function effectively across a wide pH range (from acidic to neutral to alkaline). This versatility is attributed to its hierarchically porous structure and high surface area, which facilitate ion transport and charge storage.
What is the significance of using waste asphalt as a precursor?
Using waste asphalt as a precursor addresses environmental pollution by repurposing a waste material into a valuable product. It also reduces the cost of electrode materials, making energy storage devices more affordable and sustainable, which is crucial for large-scale industrial application.
What are the potential applications of this technology?
The HPC-based EHGC has potential applications in various energy storage systems, including portable electronics, electric vehicles, and grid-scale energy storage. Its high performance, long cycle life, and pH-universal operation make it a promising candidate for next-generation batteries and supercapacitors.
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