Synthesis of Nano Carbon of Potatoes as Electrode for Environmentally Friendly Supercapacitor

Abstract

Supercapacitors tend to conduct energy very quickly and are therefore important energy devices. This study developed nano carbon from potatoes as electrodes for supercapacitors. This study uses natural materials that are environmentally safe, easy to obtain and easy to research and can be produced commercially on a large scale for industry. Battery waste is inorganic waste B3 (Hazardous and Toxic Materials). Inside the battery there are heavy metals such as lead, nickel, mercury, and cadmium. These heavy metals can cause environmental pollution which will later have an impact on human health if battery waste is not managed properly. One way to utilize battery waste is to make it into a bio-battery made from potatoes as electrodes. The purpose of this study is to minimize battery waste and potatoes that grow abundantly in Indonesia so that they are easy to obtain and the manufacturing process is easy by making environmentally friendly electrodes. In addition, this study also aims to determine the voltage and resistance of potato electrodes. The method used is to conduct a trial on a battery using potato paste (electrolyte) accompanied by Electric current vs Potential, Impedance, Capacitance, Current Density VS Potential and SEM testing to support more accurate results. The results of the study showed that nano carbon of potatoes can conduct electric current so that paste (electrolyte) can be used as an electrode. The average voltage produced from potatoes is 1.24 volts. Potato biobattery as an electrode can last an average of 5 days 6 hours or 135 hours. According, the adsorption capacity of modified potatoes on metals occurs in the pH range 4.5 - 5.5. In an acidic environment (pH < 4) protonation of the amine group (-NH2) on the adsorbent to become –NH3+ can occur, thereby reducing the number of active sites on the surface of the modified potatoes adsorbent to adsorb metal ions H+ ions in solution can compete with metal ions for the active site (-NH2) thereby reducing the number of metal ions adsorbed.