One-Dimensional Assembly of Conductive and Capacitive Metal Oxide Electrodes for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Abstract

A one-dimensional morphology comprising nanograins of two metal oxides, one with higher electrical conductivity (CuO) and the other with higher charge storability (Co₃O₄), is developed by electrospinning technique. The CuO-Co₃O₄ nanocomposite nanowires thus formed show high specific capacitance, high rate capability, and high cycling stability compared to their single-component nanowire counterparts when used as a supercapacitor electrode. Practical symmetric (SSCs) and asymmetric (ASCs) supercapacitors are fabricated using commercial activated carbon, CuO, Co₃O₄, and CuO-Co₃O₄ composite nanowires, and their properties are compared. A high energy density of ∼44 Wh kg^-1 at a power density of 14 kW kg^-1 is achieved in CuO-Co₃O₄ ASCs employing aqueous alkaline electrolytes, enabling them to store high energy at a faster rate. The current methodology of hybrid nanowires of various functional materials could be applied to extend the performance limit of diverse electrical and electrochemical devices.