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• For the first time, Co-metal was used for synthesis of carbon nanopearl chains. • A brand-new carbon nanostructure composed of nanospheres and nanofibers. • Growth based on liquid carbon droplets and Rayleigh's instability. Carbon nanopearl chains (CNPCs) consisted of carbon nanospheres and carbon nanofibers were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using benzene as the carbon source and Co particles on Si-substrate as the catalyst. The characterized results confirmed that the carbon nanospheres with a diameter between 80 nm and 300 nm have solid structure and wavy graphite layered surface, while the carbon nanofibers (diameter: 16 nm) showed amorphous structure and excellent flexibility. Therefore, these synthesized CNPCs can be potentially applied as the reinforcing matrix. Moreover, the growth mechanism of CNPCs has also been proposed by investigating the effects of Co catalyst, thiophene promoter and gas-flow during the growth process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Self-O-doped Alpinia galanga stem-based carbon nanofiber succesfully synthesis. • The hierarchical porous carbon exhibit high specific surface area of 1065.58 m2/g. • The porous carbon was performed in solid-free binder form. • In 2-electrode system, supercapacitor possessed specific capacitance of 226F g−1. In this study, activated carbon with hierarchical pores and a nanofiber structure doped with oxygen was prepared using a pure biomass-based sustainable strategy involving integrated chemical impregnation and pyrolysis. Alpinia galangal stem was chosen as it functions as fast conductive network with abundant electrochemical active sites for high-grade electrode materials. The optimal precursor exhibited self-doping of oxygen ranging from 6.15 to 15.69 % with 1065.58 m2/g, which contributed to the redox reaction of the electrode material. When tested in a 2-electrode system, the porous carbon nanofibers showed a high specific capacitance of 226F g−1 at 1 A g−1 in 1 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte, producing an energy density of 9.3483 Wh kg−1 with a coulombic efficiency of 89.01 %. The results showed that oxygen-doped hierarchical porous carbon nanofibers produced from Alpinia galangal stem biomass and designed to be solid-free of binders are highly promising as high-quality electrode materials that can improve sustainable supercapacitor performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A facile method was reported by us to sustainably obtain 3D and defective nanocarbon from waste RS residue. • The key role of bacterial played in the formation of RS residue with unque structure and composition was revealed. • The underlying pyrolysis mechanism of RS residue is explored. • The obtained bio-char was demonstrated as a promising candidate for supercapacitor. Defective carbon nanomaterials with three-dimensional (3D) structure are showing great potential for advanced electrochemical storage and conversion devices, but its application is restricted by the synthesis, which is usually involved with complicate and energy-intensive processes. Herein, pyrolysis of rice straw (RS) residue, of which is collected from the bacterial assisted hydrolysis, is proposed by us here, and the obtained bio-char is defective with 3D structure and rich in oxygen-containing functional groups. Compared to the pristine one, specific surface area of the representative RS carbon (RSC2) was increased from 428.8 to 1131.7 m2 g−1. The assembled supercapacitor with RSC2 showed a high specific capacitance of 331F g−1 at a charge–discharge current density of 0.5 A g−1, and a capacity retention of 97.6% was maintained at 5 A g−1 even after 10,000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]