Lightweight asymmetric structural rGO/cellulose acetate aerogels for high-performance electrodes with excellent capacitance retention

This study presents a green and sustainable approach employing low-substituted cellulose acetate (WSCA) and graphene oxide (GO) composites, which are gently reduced by L-ascorbic acid to fabricate reduced graphene oxide-doped cellulose aerogels (WSCA/rGO). It innovatively integrates two synthesis methods—hydrothermal synthesis (180 °C) and isothermal chemostatic processing (95 °C)—and systematically evaluates their impact on the aerogel’s microstructure, surface composition, and functional groups, demonstrating enhanced self-assembly under mild conditions. The electrochemical properties of WSCA/rGO aerogels are examined and compared, and used as electrodes for supercapacitors. The results show that the WSCA/rGO aerogel formed by the 95 °C chemostatic method exhibits a larger specific capacitance and excellent charge/discharge capability. The WSCA/rGO aerogel demonstrates a specific capacitance of 319.7 F·g −1 when the cellulose content is 30 %, and retains an outstanding 94 % of its capacitance after 5000 charge–discharge cycles. It not only provides a new approach for the green, controllable, and low-cost preparation of high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials but also offers new insights into the synergistic construction of renewable biomass and graphene materials.