Preparation and Electric Double Layer Capacitance of Mesoporous Carbon

Mesoporous activated carbon fiber (ACF) was prepared from phenolic resin containing a small amount (0.1 wt %) of organic nickel complex through carbonization and steam activation. Microporous ACF as reference sample was also prepared from phenolic resin without agent. In both cases of the mesoporous ACFs and the microporous ACFs, the electric double layer capacitance of the nonaqueous electrolyte (0.5 M $TEABF_4$/PC or 1.0 M $LiClO_4$/PC) was not proportional to the BET specific surface area. This is owing to the low permeability of nonaqueous electrolyte or the low mobility of ion in narrow micropores. However, the mesoporous ACF showed higher double layer capacitance than the microporous (normal) ACF. This result suggests that the presence of many mesopores promotes the formation of effective double layer or the transfer of ion in the micropore.