This study successfully demonstrates the synthesis of foxtail millet carbon-activated (FMCA) materials using a two-step carbonization process from foxtail millet husk (FMH). The pre-carbonized biomass-derived millet husk was chemically activated with KOH at 500 °C and subsequently carbonized in an inert argon atmosphere at 800 °C in a tubular furnace. XRD analysis revealed a diffraction peak at 2θ = 23.67°, corresponding to the (002) plane, indicating the presence of graphitic structures. The Raman analysis of FMCA materials showed an intensity ratio (IG/ID) of 1.13, signifying enhanced graphitic ordering and structural stability. The as-prepared FMC and FMCA electrode materials demonstrate efficient charge storage electrochemical symmetric devices. Electrochemical analysis revealed the charge–discharge curves and a specific capacitance of Csp (FMC//FMC) 55.47 F/g and (FMCA//FMCA) 82.94 F/g at 0.5 A/g. Additionally, the FMCA//FMCA symmetric device exhibits superior performance with a higher capacity retention of 94.89% over 5000 cycles. The results confirm the suitability of FMCA for energy storage applications, particularly in electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), making it a promising material for next-generation supercapacitors.
In this study, sugarcane bagasse (SCB), an abundant agricultural byproduct, was transformed into activated carbon via a controlled thermochemical pyrolysis route for high-performance energy storage applications. Herein, we utilized the activated carbon derived from pure sugarcane bagasse (SCB-AC) and further activated using KOH (SCB-KOH-AC) as an electrode material in aqueous symmetric supercapacitor configurations. The synthesized activated carbon was subjected to analysis using a range of characteristics including FT-Raman spectroscopy, which was employed to confirm the functional groups present in the carbon materials. The XPS analysis provided insights into the elemental composition and ionic states. The SEM analysis revealed that both activated carbon and KOH/activated carbon materials exhibited a layered or stacked, albeit slightly random, orientation. Electrochemical studies demonstrated that the synthesized carbon electrodes exhibited impressive specific capacitance values of (SCB) activated carbon (132.20 F/g) and KOH-activated, pure SCB AC (SCB-A) 253.41 F/g at 0.5 A/g. Furthermore, the SCB KOH-activated carbon (AC) electrode revealed a higher specific capacitance value and A//SCB-A symmetric devices delivered energy density reaching 17.91 Wh/kg and power density up to 2990 W/kg. The KOH-activated carbon electrode demonstrated remarkable cycling stability retaining 93.89%, even after 10,000 cycles. These results suggest that the sugarcane bagasse-derived activated carbon is a sustainable and low-cost candidate for next-generation supercapacitor electrodes. The results demonstrate enhanced capacitance, stability, and pore structure tailored for energy storage applications. The KOH-activated carbon SCB carbon symmetric device with symmetric electrodes exhibited a suitable bio-mass carbon for future energy storage applications.