Graphene Matrix Sheathed Metal Vanadate Porous Nanospheres for Enhanced Longevity and High-Rate Energy Storage Devices.

Rational design of anode materials comprising rich benefits of high capacity, superior rate capability, and exalted lifetime is of considerable significance in the progress of high-performance Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapatteries. Herein, highly porous cobalt vanadate (Co2VO4) nanospheres encapsulated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (rGO@CoV PNSs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method and employed as a hybrid composite-based anode material for energy storage devices. The nanocavities and porous features of CoV nanospheres, and the laminated rGO nanosheets over CoV PNSs can significantly surpass the volume changes and enhance the surface electrokinetics, respectively. With benefits of rich redox activity and constructive traits, the rGO@CoV PNSs as an electrode material in LIBs exhibited superior reversible capacity of 780.6 mAh/g after 100 cycles with remarkable rate performance. Moreover, the hybrid composite displayed an excellent reversible capacity of 531.8 mAh/g even after 1000 cycles performed at 1000 mA/g. Utilizing the synergistic features, the rGO@CoV PNSs composite was also explored as a battery-type electrode for supercapatteries. The fabricated supercapattery device with rGO@CoV PNSs and rGO demonstrated good rate performance including superior areal energy (0.048 mWh/cm2) and power (9.96 mW/cm2) densities. Therefore, the graphene sheathed metal vanadates would be an ultrahigh rate electrode candidates for energy storage devices.

Synergistic Effects of Cobalt Molybdate@Phosphate Core-Shell Architectures with Ultrahigh Capacity for Rechargeable Hybrid Supercapacitors.

Designing binder-free and core-shell-like electrode materials with synergistic effects has attracted widespread attention for the development of high energy density hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs). Herein, binder-free cobalt molybdate nanosheet-laminated cobalt phosphate micropetals on nickel foam (CoM NS@CoP/NF) were facilely prepared for use as an effective battery-type electrode in HSCs. With the multifunctional features, the rationally combined core-shell-like CoM NS@CoP/NF electrode exhibited a maximum capacity of 886.8 µA h/cm2 at a current density of 5 mA/cm2 with a good rate capability of 64.2% and cycling stability of 87.4% (after 10 000 cycles). The high electrochemical performance of the hybrid composite could be attributed to the synergistic effects of hierarchical architectures and large accessible electroactive area, which facilitates the fast electron/transportation within the active material and accelerates the redox chemistry process. Utilizing the superior energy-storage properties, a pouch-type HSC was fabricated with core-shell-like CoM NS@CoP-6 h architectures as a battery-type electrode and activated carbon as a capacitive-type electrode in an aqueous alkaline electrolyte. The miniature hybrid device exhibited maximum energy and power densities of 0.44 mW h/cm2 and 40.35 mW/cm2, respectively, with good cycling stability. Moreover, the HSCs can energize various portable electronic equipments, which demonstrates their suitability for real-time applications.

Achieving a High Areal Capacity with a Binder-Free Copper Molybdate Nanocone Array-Based Positive Electrode for Hybrid Supercapacitors.

Herein, we develop a binder-free copper molybdate nanocone array with a prism-like morphology on nickel foam (Cu3Mo2O9 NCAs/Ni foam) using a single-step hydrothermal method. With an optimal growth time (10 h) under hydrothermal conditions, the prism-like Cu3Mo2O9 NCAs are uniformly decorated on Ni foam with good adhesion and crystallinity. The prepared Cu3Mo2O9 NCAs/Ni foam has been directly used as a binder-free electrode to examine its suitability as a positive electrode in hybrid supercapacitors. In an aqueous 1 M KOH electrolyte, the binder-free Cu3Mo2O9 NCAs/Ni foam showed battery-type behavior with a high areal capacity of 449.5 µAh cm-2 at a discharge current density of 2 mA cm-2 and also exhibited a good cycling stability. In addition, the pouch-type hybrid supercapacitor is assembled using the prism-like Cu3Mo2O9 NCAs/Ni foam as a positive electrode and the activated carbon as a negative electrode in a 1 M KOH electrolyte. The hybrid supercapacitor achieves a maximum cell potential of 1.6 V with superior energy storage properties, including a high areal capacitance of 609.7 mF cm-2 at 3.5 mA cm-2, a high areal energy (0.21 mWh cm-2), and a high power density (2.73 mW cm-2). The obtained results suggest that the facilely synthesized Cu3Mo2O9 NCAs/Ni foam electrode has great potential in high-performance energy storage devices.

Wearable Fabrics with Self-Branched Bimetallic Layered Double Hydroxide Coaxial Nanostructures for Hybrid Supercapacitors.

We report a flexible battery-type electrode based on binder-free nickel cobalt layered double hydroxide nanosheets adhered to nickel cobalt layered double hydroxide nanoflake arrays on nickel fabric (NC LDH NFAs@NSs/Ni fabric) using facile and eco-friendly synthesis methods. Herein, we utilized discarded polyester fabric as a cost-effective substrate for in situ electroless deposition of Ni, which exhibited good flexibility, light weight, and high conductivity. Subsequently, the vertically aligned NC LDH NFAs were grown on Ni fabric by means of a hot-air oven-based method, and fluffy-like NC LDH NS branches are further decorated on NC LDH NFAs by a simple electrochemical deposition method. The as-prepared core-shell-like nanoarchitectures improve the specific surface area and electrochemical activity, which provides the ideal pathways for electrolyte diffusion and charge transportation. When the electrochemical performance was tested in 1 M KOH aqueous solution, the core-shell-like NC LDH NFAs@NSs/Ni fabric electrode liberated a maximum areal capacity of 536.96 µAh/cm2 at a current density of 2 mA/cm2 and excellent rate capability of 78.3% at 30 mA/cm2 (420.5 µAh/cm2) with a good cycling stability. Moreover, a fabric-based hybrid supercapacitor (SC) was assembled, which achieves a stable operational potential window of 1.6 V, a large areal capacitance of 1147.23 mF/cm2 at 3 mA/cm2, and a high energy density of 0.392 mWh/cm2 at a power density of 2.353 mW/cm2. Utilizing such high energy storage abilities and flexible properties, the fabricated hybrid SC operated the wearable digital watch and electric motor fan for real-time applications.