CeO2/CNTs hybrid with high performance as electrode materials for supercapacitor

Combination of CeO2 chunks and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as supercapacitor electrode material is fabricated. Superior electrochemical performance including high specific capacitance and long term cycling stability is exhibited through electrochemical tests; the CeO2/CNTs electrode achieves specific capacitance reaching 818 F g−1 at scan rate of 1 mV s−1. The hybrid displays excellent capacitance retention of 95.3% after 2000 cycles. The electrochemical property is attributed to the redox properties, good electrical conductivity and synergistic effect of two materials. With the Schottky barrier at CeO2/CNTs interface, electrons can be accumulated at the Fermi level. More electrons can be released in the process of discharge. It is demonstrated that this kind of nanocomposites could be a promising candidate as electrode material for supercapacitor applications.