Cost-Effective and Sustainable Activation of Carbon Felt

Abstract

This study presents an eco-friendly and cost-effective method for activating and functionalizing pristine carbon felt (CF) through immersion in a commercial 5 wt% hypochlorite solution. The electrochemical performance of the activated CF was significantly improved, exhibiting a twenty-fold enhancement compared to the untreated material. Characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements, and water uptake tests, confirmed substantial modifications to the material’s properties. Notably, the activation process introduced oxygen-containing functional groups, expanded mesopores and macropores, and reduced C–C bonds, with a more than 22% decrease in sp3 and sp2 bonding, alongside a 20% increase in C–O groups. These changes led to enhanced water uptake and improved electrochemical behavior. Additionally, galvanostatic electrodeposition of polypyrrole (PPy) onto both pristine and activated CF demonstrated that the treated CF exhibited four times the capacitance of the untreated sample, underscoring its potential for advanced applications. The results suggest that this low-cost, eco-friendly activation method is a promising approach for the large-scale functionalization of carbon felt for energy storage and other electrochemical applications. Please do not change the given formatting.