Synthesis and electrochemical performance of well-balanced mesopore/micropore contained carbons by activation-free method

Well-balanced meso- and micropore contained porous carbons were prepared with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)/poly(vinylidene chloride-co-acrylonitrile-co-methacrylate) (PVCAM) by activation-free method. The effect of mesoporous MWNTs as an electrical additive on the electrochemical performance of microporous carbons was investigated. After carbonization, the specific surface area (463 m(2)/g) of MWNTs-loaded microporous carbons (P-MWNTs) was lower than that (627 m(2)/g) of the microporous carbons (P-MCs) prepared with PVCAM alone. However, the specific capacitance (252 F/g) of P-MWNTs was higher than that (211 F/g) of P-MCs. It was suggested that the well-balanced meso- and microporous features of P-MWNTs allow for feasible ion transfer during charge/discharge, leading to the maximizing of charge accumulation. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.