Synthesis of free-standing carbon nanohybrid by directly growing carbon nanotubes on air-sprayed graphene oxide paper and its application in supercapacitor

• Direct growth of carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition on air-sprayed graphene oxide paper.
• Two-dimensional carbon nanohybrid with excellent conductivity and mechanical flexibility.
• Supercapacitor with excellent performance stability upon mechanical deformation for flexible electronics applications.
• Supercapacitor with high impedance phase angle for 120 Hz alternating current line filtering applications.

We report the synthesis of a free-standing two dimensional carbon nanotube (CNT)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrid by directly growing CNTs on air-sprayed GO paper. As a result of the good integration between CNTs and thermally reduced GO film during chemical vapor deposition, excellent electrical conductivity (2.6×104 S/m), mechanical flexibility (electrical resistance only increases 1.1% after bent to 90° for 500 times) and a relatively large surface area (335.3 m2/g) are achieved. Two-electrode supercapacitor assembled using the CNT–rGO hybrids in ionic liquid electrolyte (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) shows excellent stability upon 500 bending cycles with the gravimetric energy density measuring 23.7 Wh/kg and a power density of 2.0 kW/kg. Furthermore, it shows an impedance phase angle of −64.4° at a frequency of 120 Hz, suggesting good potentials for 120 Hz alternating current line filtering applications.

Flexible and highly conductive carbon nanotube-reduced graphene oxide nanohybrid.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide