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Highly microporous and mesoporous activated carbons were produced from waste tea for application as supercapacitor electrodes, utilising a chemical activation method involving treatment with either K 2 CO 3 or H 3 PO 4 . The area, pore structure characteristics and surface functionality of the activated carbons were evaluated to investigate the influence on electrochemical performance. The performance of the activated carbons as supercapacitor electrodes was tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV), impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) measurements, in an aqueous electrolyte. The results showed that the pore structure and type of the activated carbon have significant impact on the supercapacitor performance. Both waste tea-based activated carbon electrodes showed good cyclic stability. However, despite its lower specific surface area the highly microporous activated carbon produced with K 2 CO 3 , exhibited much better capacitive performance than that of the mesoporous activated carbon produced with H 3 PO 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to improve proton exchange membranes (PEMs) used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). A membrane with a high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability was required. Zeolite filler in Nafion (NF matrix) composite membranes were prepared using two types of zeolite, mordenite (MOR) and analcime (ANA). Spray method was used to prepare the composite membranes, and properties of the membranes were investigated: mechanical properties, solubility, water and methanol uptake, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and DMFC performance. It was found that MOR filler showed higher performance than ANA. The MOR/Nafion composite membrane gave better properties than ANA/Nafion composite membrane, including a higher proton conductivity and a methanol permeability that was 2–3 times lower. The highest DMFC performance (10.75 mW cm −2 ) was obtained at 70 °C and with 2 M methanol, with a value 1.5 times higher than that of ANA/Nafion composite membrane and two times higher than that of commercial Nafion 117 (NF 117). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]