Synergistic enhancement of electrochemical performance in lignin-based carbon aerogel supercapacitors through phytic acid-induced spherical structure formation and dual P/S heteroatom doping

Fengzhi Tan; Feifan Lu; Jiali Wei; Xing Wang; Jinghui Zhou; Jingyu Xu

doi:10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100234

Volume 11 Issue 2

May 2026

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Article Navigation > Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts > 2026 > 11(2): 100234

Fengzhi Tan, Feifan Lu, Jiali Wei, Xing Wang, Jinghui Zhou, Jingyu Xu. Synergistic enhancement of electrochemical performance in lignin-based carbon aerogel supercapacitors through phytic acid-induced spherical structure formation and dual P/S heteroatom doping[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(2): 100234. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100234

Citation:

Fengzhi Tan, Feifan Lu, Jiali Wei, Xing Wang, Jinghui Zhou, Jingyu Xu. Synergistic enhancement of electrochemical performance in lignin-based carbon aerogel supercapacitors through phytic acid-induced spherical structure formation and dual P/S heteroatom doping[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(2): 100234. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100234

Citation:

Fengzhi Tan, Feifan Lu, Jiali Wei, Xing Wang, Jinghui Zhou, Jingyu Xu. Synergistic enhancement of electrochemical performance in lignin-based carbon aerogel supercapacitors through phytic acid-induced spherical structure formation and dual P/S heteroatom doping[J]. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2026, 11(2): 100234. doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100234

PDF( 1944 KB)

Synergistic enhancement of electrochemical performance in lignin-based carbon aerogel supercapacitors through phytic acid-induced spherical structure formation and dual P/S heteroatom doping

doi: 10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100234

Fengzhi Tan^{a, 1},
Feifan Lu^{a, 1},
Jiali Wei^a,
Xing Wang^a,
Jinghui Zhou^a,
Jingyu Xu^{a, b
,
,}

a.
School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China
b.
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Heilongjiang Provinces Key Laboratory of Polymeric Composite Materials, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006, China

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail address: xjy951011@163.com, 03926@qqhru.edu.cn (J. Xu)
Received Date: 2025-11-04
Accepted Date: 2026-01-16
Rev Recd Date: 2025-12-22

Available Online: 2026-01-27

Publish Date: 2026-05-01

Abstract

Abstract

The widespread deployment of renewable energy sources worldwide, such as wind power and photovoltaics, has created an urgent need for efficient energy storage systems. Biomass-derived carbon aerogels, due to their environmentally friendly and sustainable properties, have emerged as ideal precursor materials for advanced energy storage applications, particularly in supercapacitors. This study developed a method to prepare phytate-induced phosphorus/sulfur (P/S) co-doped magnesium lignosulfonate-based carbon aerogels (LCAs). Phytate induction facilitated the formation of regular spherical structures while simultaneously optimizing surface morphology and enabling efficient and uniform doping of P and S heteroatoms. The optimized sample, LCA-2-700, the lignin-based carbon aerogel that was prepared with the magnesium lignosulfonate (LS)꞉sodium alginate (SA)꞉phytic acid (PA) mass ratio of 5꞉5꞉2 and carbonized at 700 ℃, exhibited a specific capacitance of 362 F/g at the current density of 0.5 A/g, with the assembled device achieving an energy density of 40.1 W·h/kg at a power density of 700 W/kg. After 20,000 cycles, the capacitance retention rate remained at 82.5%, demonstrating excellent electrochemical durability. The high performance was attributed to the synergistic effects of its spherical structure, high specific surface area, and P/S dual-heteroatom doping. This study provides an effective approach for synergistic structure-doping regulation of lignin-based carbon aerogels and provides a potential pathway for practical applications in high-performance supercapacitors.
- Lignin-based carbon aerogel,
- Lignin carbon aerogel,
- P, S-doping,
- supercapacitor

Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Supplementary materials
Supplementary material associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100234.
Peer review under the responsibility of Editorial Office of Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts

FullText(HTML)

References(44)

References

Biener, J., Stadermann, M., Suss, M., Worsley, M.A., Biener, M.M., Rose, K.A., Baumann, T.F., 2011. Advanced carbon aerogels for energy applications. Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 656–667. doi: 10.1039/c0ee00627k

Chatterjee, S., Saito, T., 2015. Lignin-derived advanced carbon materials. ChemSusChem 8, 3941–3958. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201500692

Cheng, H.L., Chen, X.C., Yu, H.Y., Guo, M., Chang, Y.N., Zhang, G.X., 2020. Hierarchically porous N, P-codoped carbon materials for high-performance supercapacitors. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 3, 10080–10088. doi: 10.1021/acsaem.0c01771

Cao, Q.P., Zhang, Y.C., Chen, J.A., Zhu, M.N., Yang, C., Guo, H.Y., Song, Y.Y., Li, Y., Zhou, J.H., 2020. Electrospun biomass-based carbon nanofibers as high-performance supercapacitors. Ind. Crops Prod. 148, 112181. doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112181

Du, B.Y., Chai, L.F., Zhu, H.W., Cheng, J.L., Wang, X., Chen, X.H., Zhou, J.H., Sun, R.C., 2021. Effective fractionation strategy of sugarcane bagasse lignin to fabricate quality lignin-based carbon nanofibers supercapacitors. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 184, 604–617. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.06.061

Fu, J., Cano, Z.P., Park, M.G., Yu, A.P., Fowler, M., Chen, Z.W., 2017. Electrically rechargeable zinc–air batteries: Progress, challenges, and perspectives. Adv. Mater. 29, 1604685. doi: 10.1002/adma.201604685

Fu, F.B., Yang, D.J., Zhang, W.L., Wang, H., Qiu, X.Q., 2020. Green self-assembly synthesis of porous lignin-derived carbon quasi-nanosheets for high-performance supercapacitors. Chem. Eng. J. 392, 123721. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2019.123721

Gao, Y.H., Liu, C., Jiang, Y.Y., Zhang, Y.L., Wei, Y., Zhao, G.H., Liu, R.H., Liu, Y.B., Shi, G.F., Wang, G.Y., 2024. Hydrothermal assisting biomass into a porous active carbon for high-performance supercapacitors. Diam. Relat. Mater. 148, 111487. doi: 10.1016/j.diamond.2024.111487

Ghosh, S., Barg, S., Jeong, S.M., Ostrikov, K., 2020. Heteroatom-doped and oxygen-functionalized nanocarbons for high-performance supercapacitors. Adv. Energy Mater. 10, 2001239. doi: 10.1002/aenm.202001239

Gong, Y.N., Li, D.L., Luo, C.Z., Fu, Q., Pan, C.X., 2017. Highly porous graphitic biomass carbon as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors. Green Chem. 19, 4132–4140. doi: 10.1039/C7GC01681F

Guo, L.Y., Jiao, S.H., Wei, G.J., Zhao, X.X., Zhang, J.L., Zhang, H.X., Zhao, X., Chen, H.L., Ji, X.X., 2024. Regulating the pore structure and heteroatom doping of soybean straw carbon based on a bifunctional template method for the high-performance carbon supercapacitor. ChemSusChem 18, e202400780.

Hao, Z.Q., Cao, J.P., Dang, Y.L., Wu, Y., Zhao, X.Y., Wei, X.Y., 2019. Three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon with high oxygen content derived from organic waste liquid with superior electric double layer performance. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 7, 4037–4046. doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b05423

Hu, Z.L., Zhao, X.X., Wei, G.J., Wang, W.B., Zhao, X., Chen, H.L., 2025. Bio-derived nanocellulose separator synergizing interfacial desolvation and electrostatic shielding for high-rate and ultra-stable aqueous zinc–iodine batteries. Chem. Eng. J. 520, 165728. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2025.165728

Huang, Y.X., Peng, L.L., Liu, Y., Zhao, G.J., Chen, J.Y., Yu, G.H., 2016. Biobased nano porous active carbon fibers for high-performance supercapacitors. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 8, 15205–15215. doi: 10.1021/acsami.6b02214

Huang, Y.X., Liu, Y., Zhao, G.J., Chen, J.Y., 2017. Sustainable activated carbon fiber from sawdust by reactivation for high-performance supercapacitors. J. Mater. Sci. 52, 478–488. doi: 10.1007/s10853-016-0347-0

Huang, W.B., Khalafallah, D., Ouyang, C., Zhi, M.J., Hong, Z.L., 2023. Strategic N/P self-doped biomass-derived hierarchical porous carbon for regulating the supercapacitive performances. Renew. Energy 202, 1259–1272. doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.12.032

Jiang, G.S., Senthil, R.A., Sun, Y.Z., Kumar, T.R., Pan, J.Q., 2022. Recent progress on porous carbon and its derivatives from plants as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors. J. Power Sources 520, 230886. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2021.230886

Jing, S.J., Sun, Z., Qu, K.Q., Shi, C., Huang, Z.H., 2023. Sodium alginate-based gel electrodes without binder for high-performance supercapacitors. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 234, 123699. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123699

Khodavandegar, S., Fatehi, P., 2024. Phytic acid derivatized lignin as a thermally stable and flame retardant material. Green Chem. 26, 10070–10086. doi: 10.1039/d4gc03169e

Kong, F.H., Wang, M., 2021. Preparation of sulfur-modulated nickel/carbon composites from lignosulfonate for the electrocatalytic oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 4, 1182–1188. doi: 10.1021/acsaem.0c02418

Li, W., Wang, G.H., Sui, W.J., Xu, T., Dai, L., Si, C.L., 2023. Lignin-derived heteroatom-doped hierarchically porous carbon for high-performance supercapacitors: "Structure-function" relationships between lignin heterogeneity and carbon materials. Ind. Crops Prod. 204, 117276. doi: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.117276

Li, X.Y., Zhao, X., Ye, Y.R., Zhang, H.X., Wei, G.J., Zhao, X.X., Chen, H.L., Ji, X.X., 2025. Fabrication of self-supported carbon foam electrodes derived from black liquor by coupling multi-phase transition with carbonization. J. Energy Storage 113, 115660. doi: 10.1016/j.est.2025.115660

Liu, L., Yang, X.F., Lv, C.X., Zhu, A.M., Zhu, X.Y., Guo, S.J., Chen, C.M., Yang, D.J., 2016. Seaweed-derived route to Fe₂O₃ hollow nanoparticles/N-doped graphene aerogels with high lithium ion storage performance. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 8, 7047–7053. doi: 10.1021/acsami.5b12427

Liu, D., Xu, G.Y., Yuan, X.Q., Ding, Y.G., Fan, B.M., 2023. Pore size distribution modulation of waste cotton-derived carbon materials via citrate activator to boost supercapacitive performance. Fuel 332, 126044. doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2022.126044

Lv, D., Li, Y., Wang, L.J., 2020. Carbon aerogels derived from sodium lignin sulfonate embedded in carrageenan skeleton for methylene-blue removal. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 148, 979–987. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.01.136

Meng, Y., Liu, T.L., Yu, S.S., Cheng, Y., Lu, J., Wang, H.S., 2020. A lignin-based carbon aerogel enhanced by graphene oxide and application in oil/water separation. Fuel 278, 118376. doi: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.118376

Salinas-Torres, D., Ruiz-Rosas, R., Valero-Romero, M.J., Rodríguez-Mirasol, J., Cordero, T., Morallón, E., Cazorla-Amorós, D., 2016. Asymmetric capacitors using lignin-based hierarchical porous carbons. J. Power Sources 326, 641–651. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.03.096

Shao, Y.L., El-Kady, M.F., Sun, J.Y., Li, Y.G., Zhang, Q.H., Zhu, M.F., Wang, H.Z., Dunn, B., Kaner, R.B., 2018. Design and mechanisms of asymmetric supercapacitors. Chem. Rev. 118, 9233–9280. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00252

Sun, L., Gong, Y.N., Li, D.L., Pan, C.X., 2022. Biomass-derived porous carbon materials: Synthesis, designing, and applications for supercapacitors. Green Chem. 24, 3864–3894. doi: 10.1039/d2gc00099g

Tang, T., Fei, J.H., Zheng, Y., Xu, J., He, H.W., Ma, M., Shi, Y.Q., Chen, S., Wang, X., 2023. Water-soluble lignosulfonates: Structure, preparation, and application. ChemistrySelect 8, e202204941. doi: 10.1002/slct.202204941

Thomas, B, Geng, S, Sain, M, Oksman, K., 2021. Hetero-porous, high-surface area green carbon aerogels for the next-generation energy storage applications. Nanomaterials 11, 653. doi: 10.3390/nano11030653

Wahid, M., Puthusseri, D., Phase, D., Ogale, S., 2014. Enhanced capacitance retention in a supercapacitor made of carbon from sugarcane bagasse by hydrothermal pretreatment. Energy. Fuels 28, 4233–4240. doi: 10.1021/ef500342d

Wang, Y., Wang, H.Z., Zhang, T.C., Yuan, S.J., Liang, B., 2020. N-doped porous carbon derived from rGO-Incorporated polyphenylenediamine composites for CO₂ adsorption and supercapacitors. J. Power Sources 472, 228610. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2020.228610

Wang, J.M., Huang, Y., Han, X.P., Li, Z.Y., Zhang, S., Zong, M., 2022. A flexible Zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor constructed by porous carbon with controllable structure. Appl. Surf. Sci. 579, 152247. doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.152247

Wang, T., Liu, Z.G., Li, P.F., Wei, H.Q., Wei, K.X., Chen, X.R., 2023. Lignin-derived carbon aerogels with high surface area for supercapacitor applications. Chem. Eng. J. 466, 143118. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.143118

Wang, J.Y., Song, Y.H., Chen, H.L., Li, C.W., Ye, Y.R., Zhao, X.X., Wei, G.J., Zhao, X., 2026. Silicon-compatible carbon-based catalyst with high HER activity from rich silicon biomass. Renew. Energy 256, 124236. doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124236

Xiao, P.T., Li, S., Yu, C.B., Wang, Y., Xu, Y.X., 2020. Interface engineering between the metal-organic framework nanocrystal and graphene toward ultrahigh potassium-ion storage performance. ACS Nano 14, 10210–10218. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03488

Xin, X.P., Kang, H.Q., Feng, J.G., Sui, L.N., Dong, H.Z., Zhao, P., Pang, B.L., Chen, Y.J., Sun, Q., Ma, S., Zhang, R.F., Dong, L.F., Yu, L.Y., 2020. A novel sol-gel strategy for N, P dual-doped mesoporous carbon with high specific capacitance and energy density for advanced supercapacitors. Chem. Eng. J. 393, 124710. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.124710

Ye, Y.R., Zhao, X., Wei, G.J., Gu, S.N., Li, C.W., Zhang, H.X., Zhang, J.L., Li, X.Y., Chen, H.L., 2024. Multiscale regulation of S, N, O tri-doped carbon/Co8FeS8 catalysts with SO₄^2–-riched and lattice distortion for efficient water splitting. J. Mater. Chem. A 12, 27724–27731. doi: 10.1039/d4ta03533j

Yi, J.N., Qing, Y., Wu, C.T., Zeng, Y.X., Wu, Y.Q., Lu, X.H., Tong, Y.X., 2017. Lignocellulose-derived porous phosphorus-doped carbon as advanced electrode for supercapacitors. J. Power Sources 351, 130–137. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.03.036

Zhang, W.L., Yin, J., Wang, C.W., Zhao, L., Jian, W.B., Lu, K., Lin, H.B., Qiu, X.Q., Alshareef, H.N., 2021. Lignin derived porous carbons: Synthesis methods and supercapacitor applications. Small Meth. 5, 2100896. doi: 10.1002/smtd.202100896

Zhang, P.H., Li, Y.Y., Wang, M.Z., Zhang, D.J., Ouyang, W.Z., Liu, L., Wang, M.L., Zhang, K.Y., Wang, H.Y., Chen, C., 2023a. Self-doped (N/O/S) nanoarchitectonics of hierarchically porous carbon from palm flower for high-performance supercapacitors. Diam. Relat. Mater. 136, 109976.

Zhang, Z.S., Zhao, X., Luo, H.G., Feng, X.J., Chen, H.L., 2023b. Design of wood-based self-supporting metal catalyst based on NiCo₂O₄ bridge for efficient oxygen evolution. Chem. Eng. J. 477, 147289. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.147289

Zhao, W., Yuan, P., She, X.L., Xia, Y.Z., Komarneni, S., Xi, K., Che, Y.K., Yao, X.D., Yang, D.J., 2015. Sustainable seaweed-based one-dimensional (1D) nanofibers as high-performance electrocatalysts for fuel cells. J. Mater. Chem. A 3, 14188–14194.

Relative Articles

Supplements(0)

Cited By

Proportional views