Controlled preparation of carbon cloth decorated with nanostructured Mn(OH)2/Mn3O4 electrodes for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Abstract

Environmentally friendly aqueous asymmetric supercapacitors are expected to exhibit excellent energy storage properties, stable performance, and facile production protocols. This study focused on the fabrication and characterisation of an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) with a commercial activated carbon (AC) negative electrode and Mn(OH)2/Mn3O4 composite on carbon cloth (hCC) positive electrode. The Mn-based electrode was synthesised using a one-step electrodeposition process. The morphology and crystalline structure of the composite electrode were modified by varying the deposition time of the Mn(OH)2/Mn3O4 nanostructures on carbon cloth substrate which greatly influence the electrochemical performance of the asymmetric systems. The best ASC used the AC electrode and a Mn(OH)2/Mn3O4@hCC electrode prepared using electrodeposition over an optimised time of 3 h. It exhibited a remarkable specific energy density of 40.7 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 100 W kg−1. In addition, this ASC demonstrated stable long-term performance, retaining 88 % of its capacitance after 5000 charge–discharge cycles, showing its great application potential in the field of supercapacitors.