Reinforcing NiO microsphere structural stability via amorphous carbon sheets obtained from waste milk for lithium-ion capacitor application

Abstract

In the pursuit of sustainable chemistry and environmentally friendly energy storage, the study addressed the limitations of nickel oxide utilized as the active material for the anode in lithium-ion capacitors. Despite its abundance and favorable environmental properties, NiO suffered from significant volumetric expansion and slow electrochemical kinetics compared to carbon materials. To overcome these issues, amorphous carbon was extracted from spoiled waste milk through a simple combustion process, effectively converting biomass waste into renewable resources. The engineered NiO/amorphous carbon composite, synthesized through hydrothermal and annealing processes, mitigated the limitations of NiO. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed the deposition of amorphous carbon sheets encasing NiO microspheres, which preserved structural integrity during electrochemical cycling. The amorphous carbon acted as a stabilizing matrix, encapsulating NiO microspheres to mitigate volumetric expansion and enhance lithium-ion transport kinetics. Electrochemical tests demonstrated a specific discharge capacity of 1230 mAh g?1 at a current density of 100 mA g?1, retaining 401 mAh g?1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g?1, nearly doubling the retention performance of pristine NiO. Furthermore, the NiO/AC//AC lithium-ion capacitor achieved an energy density of 25.4 Wh kg?1 at a power density of 1991 W kg?1, maintaining 96% capacity after 3500 cycles. This study highlighted the potential of waste-derived carbon in developing high-performance, sustainable energy storage systems. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025.