Supercapacitors are advanced energy storage devices renowned for their rapid energy delivery and long operational lifespan, making them indispensable across various industries. Their relevance has grown in recent years due to the adoption of environmentally friendly materials. One such material is bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), produced entirely from microbial sources, offering sustainability and a bioprocess-driven synthesis. In this study, BNC was synthesized using a symbiotic microbial community. After production and purification, pristine BNC membranes, with an average thickness of 80 microns, were impregnated with an alkali-alcohol meta-polybenzimidazole (PBI) solution. This process yielded hybrid BNC/PBI membranes with improved ion-transport properties. The BNC membranes were then doped with a 6 M KOH solution, to enhance OH− conductivity, and characterized using optical microscopy, ATR FT-IR, XRD, CVT, BET analysis, and impedance spectroscopy. Both BNC and BNC/PBI membranes were tested as separators in laboratory-scale symmetric supercapacitor cells, with performance compared to a commercial Viledon® separator. The supercapacitors employing BNC membranes exhibited high specific capacitance and excellent cycling stability, retaining performance over 10,000 charge/discharge cycles. These findings underscore the potential of BNC/KOH membranes for next-generation supercapacitor applications.

Described herewith is an electrochemical method to decontaminate sulphur compounds. Studies were carried out of sulphites (SO₃²⁻) oxidation on a range of anode catalysts. The electrocatalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, XRD, XPS and BET. Polarization curves were recorded of electrodes incorporating lyophilized higher fullerenes and manganese oxides. The experiments showed that lyophilized higher fullerenes and C₆₀/C₇₀ fullerene catalysts in conjunction with manganese oxides electrochemically convert sulphites (SO₃²⁻) to sulphates (SO₄²⁻). The oxidation products do not poison the electrodes. The XPS analysis shows that the catalysts incorporating DWCNTs, MWCNTs and higher fullerenes have a higher concentration of sp³C carbon bonding leading to higher catalytic activity. It is ascertained that higher fullerenes play a major role in the synthesis of more effective catalysts. The electrodes built by incorporating lyophilized catalysts containing higher fullerenes and manganese oxides are shown as most promising in the effective electrochemical decontamination of industrial and natural wastewaters.

This study investigated physically and chemically activated chimney soot to evaluate the influence of the activation process on the textural properties and porous structure of materials intended for use in supercapacitors. The materials were characterized by Raman spectroscopy to analyze molecular structure and composition, as well as BET analysis to determine porosity and structural properties based on N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. Their electrochemical characteristics were evaluated using a two-electrode configuration with cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements, and long-term cycling tests of up to 10,000 cycles within a voltage window of 0.05–1.0 V in a 1 M KOH electrolyte. Soot-based symmetric supercapacitors activated with KOH at a ratio of 3:1 exhibit a specific capacitance of 74–78 F g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹ and achieve an energy density of 2.3 Wh kg⁻¹ at a power density of 32 W kg⁻¹. The results demonstrate that, by carefully controlling the type and quantity of the activating agent, chemical activation is an effective method for increasing the specific surface area and improving the electrochemical characteristics of the resulting materials. Chemical activation significantly expands the microporous framework, optimizing ion transport at the electrode–electrolyte interface. The results demonstrate the successful valorization of chimney soot as functional carbon electrodes for next-generation energy storage applications.

This study examines the physicochemical properties of marls from the Sumer Formation near the village of Sumer, focusing on their suitability for high-level radioactive waste storage. The findings show high cation exchange capacity (CEC), neutral pH, and significant specific surface area and porosity, all of which enhance stability and sorption capacity. These properties suggest that the marls can be an effective geological barrier, limiting radioactive isotope migration and reducing groundwater contamination risks.