Development of nitrogen and phosphorus dual-doped reduced graphene oxide from waste plastic for supercapacitor applications: Comparative electrochemical performance in different electrolytes
Kundan Singh Rawat,
Chetna Tewari,
Tanuja Arya,
Young Nam Kim,
Prabhat Pant,
Satish Sati,
Sunil Dhali,
Pushpa Bhakuni Negi,
Yong Chae Jung,
Nanda Gopal Sahoo
Affiliations
Kundan Singh Rawat
Prof. Rajendra Singh Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Center, Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001, India; RAMP Convergence Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Wanju-gun, Jeonllabuk-do, Republic of Korea
Chetna Tewari
RAMP Convergence Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Wanju-gun, Jeonllabuk-do, Republic of Korea; Corresponding authors.
Tanuja Arya
Prof. Rajendra Singh Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Center, Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001, India
Young Nam Kim
RAMP Convergence Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Wanju-gun, Jeonllabuk-do, Republic of Korea
Prabhat Pant
Prof. Rajendra Singh Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Center, Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001, India
Satish Sati
Prof. Rajendra Singh Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Center, Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001, India
Sunil Dhali
RAMP Convergence Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Wanju-gun, Jeonllabuk-do, Republic of Korea
Pushpa Bhakuni Negi
Department of Chemistry, Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
Yong Chae Jung
RAMP Convergence Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Wanju-gun, Jeonllabuk-do, Republic of Korea; Corresponding authors.
Nanda Gopal Sahoo
Prof. Rajendra Singh Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Center, Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001, India; Corresponding authors.
The persistent non-biodegradable nature of plastic highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and resource conservation, underscoring the crucial importance of recycling and upcycling within a cradle-to-cradle framework. This research introduces an eco-friendly and straightforward upcycling process for plastic waste, which produces significant quantities of reduced graphene oxide through a carefully designed 2-stage pyrolysis method. To enhance the electrochemical properties of the reduced graphene oxide, they were doped with heteroatoms (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus) via a hydrothermal route. Also, as the nature of the electrolyte plays a significant role in electrochemical analysis, a comparative evaluation of the supercapacitive performance of the heteroatom-doped reduced graphene oxide was conducted across various aqueous electrolytes, including 1 M H2SO4, 6 M KOH, and 2 M KCl, as well as hydrogel polymer electrolytes such as 1 M H2SO4/1 M PVA, 2 M KCl/1 M PVA, and 6 M KOH/1 M PVA. Our results demonstrate that synthesized material from waste plastic exhibits excellent performance, particularly when combined with a 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte, achieving the highest specific capacitance of 407.6 F/g. In conclusion, this study presents a cost-effective and sustainable approach to promoting a circular economy by repurposing waste plastic for energy storage applications.
