Hierarchically porous carbon derived from agricultural waste as an optimal precursor for materials used in energy storage systems

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Scientific Center for New Technologies; Almaty, Al-Farabi 7k, Nurly Tau Business Center, Block 5A, 334b, 050059, Kazakhstan

2 Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Avenue, Almaty, 050040

3 Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Avenue, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan

10.22124/cjes.2026.9625

Abstract

Hierarchically porous carbon materials derived from agricultural waste are increasingly recognized as sustainable and structurally optimized precursors for advanced energy storage systems. In this work, carbon materials were synthesized from rice husks and fruit kernels via controlled pyrolysis, with the aim of achieving a balanced micro–mesoporous architecture without excessive chemical activation. The resulting carbons preserve intrinsic structural motifs of the biomass, enabling the formation of interconnected pore networks that combine sufficient surface accessibility with mechanical integrity. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis revealed isotherms combining type I and type IV behavior, confirming the coexistence of micro- and mesopores. The specific surface area of the obtained materials was maintained within a moderate range (approximately 70–140 m² g⁻¹ for most samples), avoiding the drawbacks associated with highly activated carbons, such as excessive solid–electrolyte interphase formation and low volumetric energy density. The hierarchical pore structure facilitates efficient ion transport through mesopores while providing abundant charge storage sites within micropores. These characteristics make biomass-derived carbons particularly suitable as structural frameworks and precursors for silicon–carbon composites and other electrode materials in lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and supercapacitor systems. The results demonstrate that agricultural waste can be rationally transformed into reproducible, structurally optimized carbon materials, offering a sustainable and effective alternative to highly activated synthetic carbons for next-generation energy storage applications.

Keywords

References

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Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences
Volume 24, Issue 2
April 2026
Pages 371-384

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