Fabrication of flexible hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber films for application in binder-free supercapacitors

Abstract

Hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (HPNCNF) films were prepared via a simple electrospinning process, in which polyacrylonitrile and silicone surfactants were adopted as carbon source and porogen, respectively, followed by a thermal treatment. The morphology, chemical composition, and porosity of the HPNCNFs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption experiments. The as-prepared HPNCNFs with a specific surface area of 656 m2 g−1, a hierarchical pore structure, and a nitrogen content of 8.1 at% showed a specific capacitance of 289 F g−1 in a 6 mol L−1 KOH aqueous solution with excellent cycle durability, making HPNCNF films a promising electrode material for a future application in supercapacitors.