Structure and Electrochemical Performance (D1.3)

Deliverable D1.3 reports the baseline structure and electrochemical performance of carbon-based electrode materials developed in the ARMS project. The work evaluates bio-curved graphene carbons, and wood-derived carbons from different species, including black liquor and hybrid composites, and doped or post-processed variants.
The results show that alder-derived carbons (AWC) outperform other wood species, with AWC-3-700 achieving a surface area of 2844 m² g⁻¹ and capacitance of 265 F g⁻¹. Bio-curved carbons also delivered high capacitance (>200 F g⁻¹), while black liquor alone performed poorly. However, AWC–ABL (activated black liquor) composites reached capacitance values up to 250 F g⁻¹, demonstrating some synergy between precursors. Doping and post-processing improved coulombic efficiency but generally reduced capacitance.
Overall, the study identifies AWC composites as the most promising candidates for flexible and structural supercapacitors. These results validate Milestone MS2 and enable the transition to upscaling, with 600 g of AWC-3-700 already produced and partly delivered for roll-to-roll electrode development.