Elevating Supercapacitor Performance of Co3O4-g-C3N4 Nanocomposites Fabricated via the Hydrothermal Method

Abstract

The hydrothermal method has been utilized to synthesize graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) polymers and cobalt oxide composites effectively. The weight percentage of g-C₃N₄ nanoparticles influenced the electrochemical performance of the Co₃O₄-g-C₃N₄ composite. In an aqueous electrolyte, the Co₃O₄-g-C₃N₄ composite electrode, produced with 150 mg of g-C₃N₄ nanoparticles, revealed remarkable electrochemical performance. With an increase in the weight percentage of g-C₃N₄ nanoparticles, the capacitive contribution of the Co₃O₄-g-C₃N₄ composite electrode increased. The Co₃O₄-g-C₃N₄-150 mg composite electrode shows a specific capacitance of 198 F/g. The optimized electrode, activated carbon, and polyvinyl alcohol gel with potassium hydroxide were used to develop an asymmetric supercapacitor. At a current density of 5 mA/cm², the asymmetric supercapacitor demonstrated exceptional energy storage capacity with remarkable energy density and power density. The device retained great capacity over 6k galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles, with no rise in series resistance following cyclic stability. The columbic efficiency of the asymmetric supercapacitor was likewise high.