Supercapacitors hold incredible potential when it comes to energy storage, with an ability to charge and discharge almost instantly being one of their major selling points. Were key components for these next-generation devices to come from sustainable sources that would only add to the appeal, and scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) are offering up this possibility in the form of a nanomaterial made from upcycled plastic waste.

The breakthrough comes from a team of engineers led by UCR’s Cengiz Ozkan, who for years has been investigating new nanoscale materials that can help make supercapacitors viable options for energy storage. Previously, Ozkan and her colleagues have made promising advances involving everything from graphene to glass bottles, but their latest discovery centers on one of the largest environmental headaches we face in plastic waste.

The team started with pieces of plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate plastics, or PET. These were dissolved in a solvent and turned into microscopic fibers using a technique known as electrospinning, with the fibers then converted into carbon in a furnace.