Experimental investigation of Co and Fe-Doped CuO nanostructured electrode material for remarkable electrochemical performance

The current research work presents a facile and cost–effective co-precipitation method to prepare doped (Co & Fe) CuO and undoped CuO nanostructures without usage of any type of surfactant or capping agents. The structural analysis reveals monoclinic crystal structure of synthesized pure CuO and doped-CuO nanostructures. The effect of different morphologies on the performance of supercapacitors has been found in CV (cyclic voltammetry) and GCD (galvanic charge discharge) investigations. The specific capacitances have been obtained 156 (±5) Fg^?1, 168(±5) Fg^?1 and 186 (±5) Fg^?1 for CuO, Co-doped CuO and Fe-doped CuO electrodes, respectively at scan rate of 5 mVs^?1, while it is found to be 114 (±5) Fg^?1, 136 (±5) Fg^?1 and 170 (±5) Fg^?1 for CuO, Co–CuO and Fe–CuO, respectively at 0.5 Ag^-1 as calculated from the GCD. The super capacitive performance of the Fe–CuO nanorods is mainly attributed to the synergism that evolves between CuO and Fe metal ion. The Fe-doped CuO with its nanorods like morphology provides superior specific capacitance value and excellent cyclic stability among all studied nanostructured electrodes. Consequently, it motivates to the use of Fe-doped CuO nanostructures as electrode material in the next generation energy storage devices.     

Inductive effect in Mn-doped ZnO nanoribon arrays grown on Ni foam: A promising key for boosted capacitive and high specific energy supercapacitors

Transition metal oxides have been explored in supercapacitor applications owing to their safety, low cost, high specific capacitance and high electrochemical activity. Among all transition metal oxides, zinc oxide based materials show remarkable response for designing the supercapacitors with high electrochemical activity. Here in, Mn doped ZnO (Zn_1-xMn_xO₃ with x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1) was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Doping of Mn into the ZnO increased the surface area and decease the charge transfer resistance for the Zn_0.5Mn_0.5O₃. All the synthesized materials were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy SEM), BET, electrochemical tests and other various analytical techniques to confirm the structural, morphological, textural and suprcapacitive properties. The synthesized material Zn_0.5Mn_0.5O₃ having the porous nanoribons structure with BET surface area (2490 cm²/g). The electrochemical studies showed significantly enhanced response toward pseudocapacitive nature. The synthesized material exhibited the excellent specific capacitance (515F/g), specific energy (28.61 Wh/kg) and specific power (1000 W/kg) at current density of 2 mA/g. Such impressive and superior properties make the MnZnO₃ material as promising candidate for new generation supercapacitor applications.     

Wet chemical synthesis of Gd+3 doped vanadium Oxide/MXene based mesoporous hierarchical architectures as advanced supercapacitor material

In this paper, Gd³⁺ doped V₂O₅/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (GVO/MX) hierarchical architectures have been synthesized by wet chemical approach. As prepared GVO/MX composite, along undoped VO and unsupported GVO were well characterized by XRD, FESEM, EDX, FT-IR and BET techniques. Electrochemical performance of VO, GVO and GVO/MX was evaluated by CV, GCD and EIS measurements. Among the three electrodes, GVO/MX composite exhibited highest electrochemical activity with the optimum specific capacitance of 1024 Fg^-1 at 10 mVs^?1. The specific capacitance of GVO/MX was ～1.7 and ～3 times higher than unsupported GVO (585 Fg^-1) and VO (326 Fg^-1), respectively. The cyclic life of GVO/MX with capacitance retention 96.12% was observed at 60 mVs^?1. EIS measurements showed reduction in electrochemical impedance for GVO/MX as compared to GVO and VO. The corresponding impedance values of Rct and Resr for GVO/MX were calculated as 18 Ω and 1.8 Ω, respectively. The superior capacitive ability of GVO/MX can be ascribed to its unique morphology, short diffusion path and high surface area of fabricated composite. Considering it, the present work provides a feasible strategy to fabricate highly effective electrode materials for next generation energy storage devices.     

Biomass-derived graphene-based nanocomposite: A facile template for decoration of ultrathin nickel–aluminum layered double hydroxide nanosheets as high-performance supercapacitors

One promising approach to design of high performance supercapacitors is based on the coupling the conductive porous carbon matrixes and the electroactive components. However, the main challenge to this goal is the maintaining the long cycling life, high power and high energy densities of the related capacitors. Herein, we reported on an electroactive composite based on biomass derived 3D graphene coupled with nickel-aluminum layer double hydroxides for manufacturing a cathode material in a supercapacitor. The electrode exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 1390 F g⁻¹ at 1 Ag^-1, and ultrahigh rate capability of 60% from 1 to 30 Ag^-1, as well as excellent cycling stability with a capacitance retention of 92% after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, the electrode was used as the positive electrode against a Vulcan XC-72R as the negative electrode to assemble an asymmetric supercapacitor. The asymmetric supercapacitor device exhibited a maximum energy density of 173 Wh kg⁻¹ and power density of 28.8 kW kg⁻¹ as well as excellent cycling stability of 92% after 5000 cycles. The asymmetric supercapacitor could lighted up LED lamps with different colors more than 24 min. The work showed promising performance of further application in electrochemical devices.     

Graphene triggered enhancement in visible-light active photocatalysis as well as in energy storage capacity of (CFO)1-x(GNPs)x nanocomposites

Cobalt ferrite-graphene nanoplatelets ((CFO)_1-x(GNPs)_x) nanocomposites are promising for efficient photocatalysis and high-performance supercapacitors. Multifunctional (CFO)_1-x(GNPs)_x nanocomposites prepared via facile chemical method have been investigated for their physio-chemical characteristics like crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition, optical properties, infrared vibrational modes, photocatalytic and supercapacitor applications. Interestingly, the photocatalytic activity of CFO nanostructures has been improved significantly from 38.3% to 98.7% with the addition of graphene which can be attributed to control over recombination of charge carriers. It is also found that the specific capacitance of the prepared (CFO)_1-x(GNPs)_x nanocomposite electrode at 0.5 Ag^-1 is three times higher than that of only CFO based electrode which could be due to the conducting nature of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The enhanced photocatalytic and improved electrochemical characteristics suggest the effective use of prepared nanocomposites in water purification and supercapacitor nanodevices.     

Rational design of MXene-based films for energy storage: Progress,prospects

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (MXenes) have been synthesized and developed into a wide range of applications including energy storage, optoelectronics, electromagnetic interference shielding, biomedicine, and sensors, etc. Compared to other 2D materials, MXenes possess a unique set of properties such as superior mechanical strength, outstanding hydrophily, and excellent dispersion quality, making them particularly suitable for fabricating films/membranes featuring designed microstructures and tunable nanochannels. 2D MXene-based films (MBFs) have demonstrated excellent ion storage, electron transport and ionic selectivity properties for electrochemical energy storage and have received enormous interest in recent years. Compared with conventional electrode materials and structures, MBFs show great advantages in the aspects of flexibility, tailorability and functionality, which are suitable for flexible, portable, and highly integrated energy storage systems. This review summarizes recent advances and well-developed strategies of the MBFs design and fabrication toward applications of metal-ion batteries (MIBs, including Li, Na, K-ions), lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries and supercapacitors (SCs). Special attentions are given to the design principles of MBFs based microstructures, inter-layer nanochannels and in-plane nanochannels for energy storage. Finally, the current challenges and promising perspectives of the MBFs for energy storage devices are presented.     

Microcystis aeruginosa supported-Mn catalyst as a new promising supercapacitor electrode: A dual functional material

In the present study, a Mn-supported catalyst material developed from Microcystis aeruginosa microalgae for hydrogen generation was tested as a supercapacitor electrode material for the first time. The catalyst material (MA-HCl-Mn) was examined for hydrogen generation through methanolysis of NaBH₄, and it demonstrated good catalytic activity. Symmetric and asymmetric supercapacitor cells were prepared using MA-HCl-Mn as the electrode material. The electrochemical performance of the cells were evaluated by a two-electrode system using 2 M KOH as the electrolyte. The gravimetric capacitance of the symmetric and asymmetric cells found to be 40 F/g and 71 F/g, respectively. It was concluded that MA-HCl-Mn served as a sustainable, dual functional material showing a high catalytic activity for the hydrogen generation and a promising electrochemical performance as the supercapacitor electrode.     

MWCNTs-GONRs/Co3O4 electrode with needle-like arrays for outstanding supercapacitors

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes-graphene oxide nanoribbons (MWCNTs-GONRs) exhibit high specific surface area and good electroconductivity because of their unique three-dimensional cross-linking structure with the properties of both CNTs and GONRs. In this study, a hydrothermal method was employed to anchor MWCNTs–GONRs onto a Ni foam (NF) to obtain a precursor substrate. Subsequently, Co₃O₄ arrays were grown on the NF substrate to synthesize a MWCNTs–GONR/Co₃O₄ electrode. The electrode showed a capacitance of 846.2 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ and a capacitance retention of 90.1% after 3000 cycles. Furthermore, MWCNTs–GONRs/Co₃O₄ and active carbon (AC) were used as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, to assemble a supercapacitor, which delivered a maximum energy density of 38.23 W h kg⁻¹ and a high power density of 6.80 kW kg⁻¹. In addition, the specific capacitance of the device reached a maximum of 91.5% after 9000 cycles. Thus, the MWCNTs–GONRs/Co₃O₄ electrode showed huge potential for supercapacitor applications.     

Growth of yolk-shell CuCo2S4 on NiO nanosheets for high-performance flexible supercapacitors

A poor electrical conductivity and short cycle life limits the wide application of transition metal oxides in energy storage applications. In this study, yolk-shell structured CuCo₂S₄ was grown on NiO nanosheets (NiO@CuCo₂S₄) via a hydrothermal method and vulcanization, which combined the synergistic interactions between Ni, Co, and Cu. The effect of varying the amount of the vulcanizing agent (thiourea) on the electrochemical performance of NiO@CuCo₂S₄ was also investigated. Moreover, the amount of thiourea not only tuned the morphology of the composite, but significantly influenced its electrochemical performance. When the Cu²⁺: Co²⁺: thiourea molar ratio in the precursor solution was 1:2:6, the obtained NiO@CuCo₂S₄ exhibited the best electrochemical performance of the various systems examined, with a specific capacitance of 1658 F g^?1 being achieved at 1 A g^?1. Density functional theory calculations further confirmed the excellent synergistic effect between NiO and CuCo₂S₄. In addition, the asymmetric supercapacitor composed of a NiO@CuCo₂S₄ positive electrode reached an ultrahigh energy density of 73 Wh kg^?1 at a power density of 802 W kg^?1, as well as excellent cycling stability (i.e., 91% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles). These results suggest that NiO@CuCo₂S₄ is a promising candidate for use in energy storage applications.     

Green and facile synthesis of porous carbon spheres from waste solution for high performance all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors

Porous carbon spheres materials display huge potential for energy storage, but their general synthesis need chemical activation agent with highly corrosive to create pores. In this work, a simple, environment-friendly and less time-demanding method is used to prepared porous carbon spheres using K₂FeO₄ as activation agent and waste solution as the precursor. The K₂FeO₄ employ in this work acts both as an activating agent and a catalyst. In addition, replacing KOH with K₂FeO₄ does not only reduce the corrosion of equipment but also increases the content of oxygen. The optimized porous carbon spheres with high specific surface area, hierarchical pore structure and surface heteroatom can deliver a high specific capacitance of 260 F g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹ and good cycling stability (90% retention after 15000 cycles at 5 A g⁻¹). Furthermore, the all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors fabricated based on as-prepared samples exhibit good electrochemical performance in the PVA/KOH electrolyte. This work offers a green route to convert waste solution into porous carbon spheres, which are promising candidate material for supercapacitors to energy storage.