Hybrid MnO2/carbon nanotube-VN/carbon nanotube supercapacitors

• VN/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) fibrous composites were fabricated.
• VN/MWCNT composites showed good capacitive behavior in Na2SO4 electrolyte.
• Good capacitive behavior and cycling stability were achieved at high electrode mass.
• Quartz crystal microbalance data provide an insight into the charging mechanism.
• Aqueous MnO2/MWCNT-VN/MWCNT supercapacitors were tested in a voltage window of 1.8 V.

Composite materials, containing fibrous VN nanoparticles and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are prepared by a chemical method for application in electrochemical supercapacitors. We demonstrate for the first time that VN-MWCNT electrodes exhibit good capacitive behavior in 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte in a negative voltage window of 0.9 V. Quartz crystal microbalance studies provide an insight into the mechanism of charge storage. Composite VN-MWCNT materials show significant improvement in capacitance, compared to individual VN and MWCNT materials. Testing results indicate that VN-MWCNT electrodes exhibit high specific capacitance at high mass loadings in the range of 10–30 mg cm−2, good capacitance retention at scan rates in the range of 2–200 mV s−1 and good cycling stability. The highest specific capacitance of 160 F g−1 is achieved at a scan rate of 2 mV s−1. The new findings open a new and promising strategy in the fabrication of hybrid devices based on VN. The proof-of-principle is demonstrated by the fabrication of hybrid supercapacitor devices based on VN-MWCNT negative electrodes and MnO2 –MWCNT positive electrodes with voltage window of 1.8 V in aqueous 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte. The hybrid VN-MWCNT/MnO2-MWCNT supercapacitor cells show promising capacitive and power-energy characteristics.

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