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Bacterial cellulose could boost supercapacitors
A review of 49 studies finds bacterial cellulose-derived carbon shows promise for fast-charging supercapacitors, but scaling and standards remain hurdles.
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A systematic review from Hasanuddin University argues that bacterial cellulose-derived carbon (BCC) is shaping up as a promising sustainable electrode material for next-generation supercapacitors. Published in the Journal of Energy Storage, the paper examines how researchers are turning naturally pure, nanoscale bacterial cellulose fibers into porous carbon electrodes for devices that need fast charging, high power density, and long cycle life.
Supercapacitors are already attractive for applications including portable electronics, wearable devices, and electric vehicles, but their real-world performance depends heavily on the electrode. According to the review, BCC stands out from plant-based cellulose because it starts with a highly pure nanofiber network that can be converted through heat treatment into carbon structures well suited to storing electrical charge.
To make sense of a fragmented field, Prof. Dahlang Tahir and his team analyzed 49 journal articles from the Scopus database. They compared several fabrication routes, including:
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- direct carbonization of bacterial cellulose
- chemical activation to increase pore space
- heteroatom doping to modify surface chemistry
- composite formation with other materials
The team also compared freeze-drying and non-freeze-drying methods, and separated results from three-electrode tests and two-electrode devices, with the latter seen as more relevant to practical supercapacitors.
One of the clearest findings was that preserving the original nanofiber network before carbonization matters. The review says freeze-drying was the most common pre-carbonization step because it helps stop the wet cellulose structure from collapsing, which in turn preserves the pore architecture that strongly affects final performance.
Across the studies surveyed, pristine BCC delivered modest but sometimes competitive capacitance. Activation and heteroatom doping generally improved results by increasing accessible surface area, changing surface chemistry, and adding active sites. Composite electrodes often posted the highest capacitance values, especially when paired with pseudocapacitive materials that store charge through rapid surface redox reactions.
The review also looked at the mechanical performance and stability of flexible BCC-based supercapacitors and flagged several reasons progress has been uneven: inconsistent reporting standards, differing experimental protocols, and limited mechanistic research.
“In the longer term, over the next 10 years, the field should move toward predictive design of BCC electrodes, data-driven models for structure–performance relationships, scalable carbonization protocols, deformation- and humidity-resistant devices, and prototype demonstrations in flexible, lightweight, or structural supercapacitor systems.”
Tahir also said the material may be able to outperform commercial activated carbon under comparable conditions, but only if those gains can be reproduced at scale and maintained in practical operating environments. For now, most BCC electrodes remain at the laboratory proof-of-concept stage.
The paper is titled “Bacterial cellulose-derived carbon electrodes for supercapacitors: Fabrication strategies, electrochemical performance, and mechanical properties—A review” and carries the DOI 10.1016/j.est.2026.123044.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via TechXplore
