Macaroni fullerene crystals-derived mesoporous carbon tubes as a high rate performance supercapacitor electrode material

Self-assembled macaroni fullerene C60 crystals (MFC) of uniform shape and narrow size distribution were prepared using the dynamic liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation method under ambient conditions. High temperature heat treatment (900°C) of MFC yielded mesoporous carbons tubes retaining the initial morphology. This novel mesoporous carbon material exhibited excellent electrochemical supercapacitive performance due to high surface areas (1544 sq m/g), large pore volume (2.936 cu cm/g) and interconnected porous structures. In a three-electrode aqueous electrolyte system, the electrode achieved high specific capacitance (422 F/) at a current density of 1 A/g followed by excellent cycling stability (>95%) after 10,000 charging-discharging cycles at 20 A/g. The novel mesoporous carbon material derived from a π-electron carbon source could be used as an alternative electrode material in advanced supercapacitor devices.