Abstract:
Bacterial cellulose (BC) gel is synthesized by static culture process at the interface between air and medium. The
solvent-exchanged BC gel is incorporated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) copolymer solution under heating at 90 °C
and subsequent cooling gives bacterial cellulose-polyacrylonitrile composite (BC-PAN) monolith. The BC-PAN
monolith is carbonized at 1000 °C with physical activation in the presence of CO2 to obtain the activated carbon
monolith, BC-PAN-AC, with large surface area and high microporosity. Unique morphologies are observed for
BC gel which is propagated to the BC-PAN monolith and restored in BC-PAN-AC. The BC nanofibers remain
entwined throughout the porous skeleton of the PAN backbone and the entangled structure helps in retaining the
continuity of the matrix of BC-PAN-AC and reduce the grain boundary impedance for electrical conduction.
Cyclic voltammetry shows that these activated carbons are good electrode materials in electric double layer
capacitors (EDLC) with capability of high-speed charging and dischargin
