A cheap and non-destructive approach to increase coverage/loading of hydrophilic hydroxide on hydrophobic carbon for lightweight and high-performance supercapacitors

Abstract

Carbon-based substrates offer unprecedented advantages in lightweight supercapacitors. However, it is still challenging to achieve high coverage or loading. Different from the traditional belief that a lack of defects or functional groups is the cause of poor growth on carbon-based substrates, we reckon that the major cause is the discrepancy between the hydrophilic nature of the metal oxide/hydroxide and the hydrophobic nature of carbon. To solve this incompatibility, we introduced ethanol into the precursor solution. The method to synthesize nickel copper hydroxide on carbon fiber paper employs only water and ethanol, in addition to nickel acetate and copper acetate. The results revealed good growth and tight adhesion of active materials on carbon fiber paper substrates. The specific capacitance and energy density per total weight of the active material plus substrate (carbon fiber paper, current collector) reached 770 F g-1 and 33 Wh kg-1 (1798 F g-1 and 54 Wh kg-1 per weight of the active materials), owing to the high loading of active material and the light weight of carbon fiber paper. These results signified the achievability of light, cheap and high-performance supercapacitors by an environmental-friendly approach.