Transformation of Clinical Waste into Heteroatom-Doped Porous Carbon Materials Towards a Highly Efficient Energy Storage Device

Abstract

The persistent accumulation of plastic waste in the environment poses substantial ecological challenges over time. Thus, converting the plastic biowaste into valuable products is highly desirable. In this study, heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials derived from medical waste, specifically the outer layer of disposable masks (DM), have been investigated as promising electrode materials for energy storage applications. The synthesis of highly linked nanosheet architecture of porous carbon materials enriched with nitrogen and oxygen is demonstrated. The synthesized porous carbon material, pyrolyzed at 800 °C (DM-800), shows a maximum specific capacitance. A solid-state device with DM-800 exhibited remarkable energy and power densities of 68.61 Wh/kg and 15 kW/kg, respectively, at a current density of 15 A/g. Moreover, the fabricated devices have been demonstrated with both series and parallel connections to enhance the operating voltage, total capacitance, and current-handling capability. The device exhibited remarkable long-term cycling durability, maintaining its electrochemical performance even after 10000 charge-discharge cycles. An empirical investigation further validates its effectiveness, as the device operated 38 red light-emitting diodes for nearly four minutes. This study highlights a straightforward approach for converting medical waste into high-performance porous carbon electrodes, offering a sustainable and innovative method for transforming biowaste into effective materials for energy storage applications.