Sodium fulvic acid based hierarchical porous carbons (SFA-HPCs) with a specific surface area of 1919 m2/g and total volume of 1.7 cm3·g–1 has been synthesized by a simple self-template method. The carbon skeleton can be formatted by the decomposition process of sodium fulvic acid (SFA) in a N2 atmosphere. The sodium compund in SFA is used as a self-template to create the hierarchical porous structure. The unique hierarchical structure of SFA-HPCs provides an efficient pathway for electrolyte ions to be diffused into the internal surfaces of bulk electrode particles. It results in a high charge storage capacitance of 186 F·g–1 at current load of 40 A·g–1. The capacitance 230 F·g–1 at 0.05 A·g–1 and 186 F·g–1 at 40 A·g–1 show its high rate capability. Besides, it also achieves desirable cycling stability, 99.4% capacitance remained after 10000 cycles at 40 A·g–1.
