Environmental aspects of biomass utilization in supercapacitors

The role of energy in the growth of civilization is crucial, and the environmental consequences of fossil fuel-based energy have caused serious threats to the global community. In addition to renewable energy resources, the role of environment friendly energy storage is also vital. Supercapacitors (SC) are clean energy storage devices that are considered the most effective electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies. This chapter illustrates the environmental aspects of biomass-based supercapacitors. The production of porous carbons derived from lignin, cellulose fiber, and hemicellulose are resources for synthesizing carbon compounds to develop electrode materials for SCs. Typically, thermochemical processes and biochemical processes are the methods for obtaining energy from biomass. The production of carbons, including activated ones, requires more investigation of environmental challenges. Biomass utilization to fabricate SC's other components like electrolytes, separators, binding materials, and packaging materials are also reported. Using biomass in the manufacture of SCs instead of waste disposal can help to reduce air pollution, forest fire danger, greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous material release, and land degradation. Diverting wastes for biomass production reduces landfill volume and methane emissions. Although biomass-based SCs are environmentally friendly, they may cause soil erosion, nutrient depletion, water quality degradation, and air pollution.