Sulfur-Doped Carbons from Durian Peels, Their Surface Characteristics, and Electrochemical Behaviors

Durian peels are an agricultural waste in Asian countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, which can be used as a precursor for the production of activated carbon. The objective of this work is to produce activated carbon from durian peels by chemical activation using sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) as an activating and sulfur-doping agent. The process parameter investigated in this study was the activation temperature (500-900 °C) at a fixed impregnation ratio (durian to activating agent of 1:1, by weight). Specific surface areas and pore structures were determined by nitrogen adsorption and desorption measurements, and elemental compositions were characterized by CHNSO analysis. The chemical structure and surface functionality were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical behavior of the obtained activated carbon was characterized in 6 M KOH using a three-electrode configuration. It was found that the sulfur content decreases with activation temperature. In contrast, the specific surface area of the activated carbon increases with activation temperature. However, the sample activated at 900 °C with the highest specific surface area (1499 m2 g-1) has a lower specific capacitance (166 F g-1) than the one activated at 700 °C (183 F g-1). This could be due to the presence of a pseudocapacitance caused by the organic sulfur functional groups such as thiophene, sulfone, and sulfoxide, which can trigger a surface redox reaction, leading to a higher capacitance.