Metal-organic framework derived hierarchical NiCo2O4 triangle nanosheet arrays@SiC nanowires network/carbon cloth for flexible hybrid supercapacitors

Abstract

To overcome the disadvantages of traditional powder electrodes, such as the insufficient performance, the aggregation of active materials, and the complex fabrication process, rationally constructing free-standing electrode materials with hierarchical architecture is an effective and promising method, which could further improve the electrochemical properties. Herein, using metal-organic framework nanoarrays (MOFNAs) as self-sacrificial templates and SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) network as nanoscale conductive skeletons, we successfully fabricated the hierarchical core-shell SiCNWs@NiCo2O4NAs on carbon cloth (CC) substrate. Taking advantages of structural merits, such as hierarchical porous triangle-like NiCo2O4NAs, the interwoven SiCNWs network and conductive CC substrate, when evaluated as a binder-free supercapacitor electrode, the CC/SiCNWs@NiCo2O4NAs shows a high specific capacitance of 1604.7 F g−1 (specific capacity of 222.9 mA h g−1) at 0.5 A g−1, good rate performance, and excellent cycling stability. Significantly, the hybrid supercapacitor assembled with CC/SiCNWs@NiCo2O4NAs as the cathode and MOF derived CC/SiCNWs@CNAs as the anode, could deliver a high specific density of 49.9 W h kg−1 at a specific power of 800 W kg−1, stable cycling performance, and good flexibility. Impressively, this feasible strategy for fabricating hierarchical structure displays great potential in the field of energy storage.