Decorated Carbon Fiber Research Articles

Multifunctional composite paper fabricated by graphene oxide/tannin decorated carbon fiber with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding, antibacterial and sound absorption properties

Considering the distinctive oxidative coupling characteristic of tannin acid, it was used as an interfacial interlayer to build a nano-coating structure on the surface of carbon fiber (CF)using amino-modified graphene oxide (GON) via Schiff base reaction. Furthermore, a kind of multifunctional composite paper (PTCF/GON) with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding, antibacterial and sound absorption properties was fabricated using surface modified CF (TCF/GON) and plant fibers. The increased active groups on the surface of TCF/GON improved its hydrophilicity and enhanced its dispersibility in water, which facilitated to form an effective interconnected conductive network of composite paper via traditional wet forming process. Composite paper fabricated by 30 wt% surface decorated CF (PTCF1.5/GON1.2) achieved an electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness as high as 43.4 dB in X-band, shielding 99.9 % of incident electromagnetic energy. Meanwhile, PTCF1.5/GON1.2 exhibits good sound absorption performance in specific frequency bands, with a sound absorption coefficient of 0.98 around 1180 Hz. Besides, PTCF1.5/GON1.2 also exhibited excellent antibacterial properties. This strategy provides an economical and practical method for manufacturing multifunctional electromagnetic shielding materials with superior performance.

Co/N-codoped carbon nanoplate array coated carbon fiber cathode for solar driven uranium extraction from complex radioactive wastewater

Organics bring great challenge on uranium reduction due to the formation of stubborn complexes between uranyl ions (UO22+) and organics. Herein, we developed an effective strategy to synchronously degrade organics and extract uranium from complicated radioactive wastewater, accompanied with electricity generation, by a novel self-driven photocatalytic fuel cell (NSPFC) system, in which a three-dimensional (3D) Co/N-doped carbon nanoplate array (Co-N-C/CF) decorated carbon fiber is employed as the cathode for highly efficient UO22+ reduction. Compared to pure CF, the optimized Co-N-C/CF cathode increases the rate constants (k) by 9 and 9.1 times for UO22+ and organic elimination, respectively, and improves electricity output by 2 times (Pmax, 1180 μW/cm2). This improvement should be ascribed to the 3D morphology of Co-N-C/CF that provided plenty of surface area for U(VI) reduction, and the doping of N and Co, which effectively increased the U(VI) adsorption sites and optimized the electron behavior on the cathode, respectively. These features endow the NSPFC system with excellent adaptability in treating complex radioactive wastewater with a wide range of pollutant concentration, pH, co-existed ions, pollutant organics and natural organic matters. Fascinating activity is also achieves in treating polluted seawater or under real sunlight illumination. This work not only provides a outstanding nanostructured cathode for uranium reduction but also suggests a charming system to resourcefully treatment of radioactive wastewater or polluted water bodies.

Matrimid/MOP-18 Derived Composite Material for High-Energy Aqueous Hybrid Supercapacitor (HSC) Electrodes

The necessity for substantial advancements in electrical energy storage systems is underscored by the increasing demand driven by the extensive integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, the growing popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles, and the escalating safety requirements. Supercapacitors, characterized by their high-power density, inherently superior safety features, and longer cycle life compared to other energy storage systems, are poised to meet these escalating expectations.In this research, an in situ dispersion of Metal-Organic Polyhedra (MOP)-18 in Matrimid is employed to construct a hybrid supercapacitor electrode with enhanced redox activity and improved electrical conductivity. A uniform solution of Matrimid and MOP-18 was electrospun, subsequently carbonized, and activated with CO2 to yield Cu/Cu2O decorated carbon fiber electrode materials. The remarkable solubility of MOP-18 was leveraged to ensure the even dispersion of nanoparticles. The thermally decomposable porous structure of MOP-18 augmented the surface area and electrolyte accessibility of the fabricated electrode. Conversely, Matrimid provided a highly conductive free-standing carbon for the electrode.The amalgamation of these factors culminated in a notable enhancement in capacitance and energy density in a 6 M KOH electrolyte solution. The synthesized composite material achieved a peak capacitance of 253 Fg-1 and an energy density of 12.5 Whkg-1 at a current density of 1 Ag-1. The materials, methods, and techniques employed in the study can be readily scaled up industrially without significant alterations. As illustrated in the study, the use of soluble metal-organic structures to deliver redox-active materials in highly conductive carbon can result in composite electrode materials with synergistic properties. Figure 1

Pd/TiO2 decorated carbon fibers as an efficient anode catalyst for methanol electro‐oxidation

AbstractIn this study, Pd/TiO2 decorated carbon nanofibers (Pd/TiO2@CNFs) and Pd@CNFs were prepared by the impregnation method for application in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Pd and TiO2 particles were supported on the surface of carbon fibers. Noticeably, When the mass fraction of PdCl2 added is 4%, the Pd@CNFs catalyst (Pd‐4@CNFs) showed higher electrocatalytic activity and stability, which were about 28.4 and 13.2 times higher than those of commercial Pd/C catalyst, respectively. On the basis of Pd‐4@CNFs catalyst, TiO2 with a mass fraction of 10% was added to produce Pd/TiO2@CNFs catalyst (Pd‐4/TiO2‐10@CNFs). The electrocatalytic activity of Pd‐4/TiO2‐10@CNFs increased to 3,850.4 A·g−1, which was 31.9 times higher than that of commercial Pd/C catalysts. These results demonstrated that the novel Pd/TiO2@CNFs catalyst is expected to be an efficient and durable catalyst for DMFC.

Carbons confined silver nanoclusters decorated carbon fiber electrodes toward electrochemical sensor of dihydroxyphenol and heavy metal ions

The development of electrochemical sensors based on noble metals has presented remarkable opportunities and challenges for the detection of trace phenols and heavy metal ions. However, the high costs of precious metals hinder the practical implementation of electrode materials. Enhancing the utilization efficiency of precious metals on the electrode surface is a crucial step toward improving electrochemical sensors based on these valuable materials. In this study, the morphology and utilization rate of silver nanoparticles were regulated by decorating nanofilms with different dimensions on carbon fiber electrodes. Specifically, the polypyrrole-derived carbon film coating enabled the material to have a large electroactive area and silver loading capacity. Simultaneously, the limiting effect of graphene quantum dots formed silver nanoparticles into silver clusters and achieved excellent electrochemical detection performance for dihydroxyphenol and heavy metal ions. Compared with silver nanoparticles, silver clusters provide higher electrocatalytic power and atomic utilization of silver. This study provides technical support for the trace analysis of environmental pollutants.

MoS2 decorated carbon fiber yarn hybrids for the development of freestanding flexible supercapacitors

Academic and industrial efforts have focused on developing energy storage devices for wearable and portable electronics using low-cost, scalable, and sustainable materials and approaches. In this work, commercially available stretch-broken carbon fiber yarns (SBCFYs) were hybridized with mixed phases of 1 T and 2H MoS2 nanosheets via conventional and microwave-assisted heating (CAH, MAH) without the use of binders to fabricate symmetric freestanding 1D fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSCs). Electrochemical characterization performed in a three-electrode configuration showed promising results with specific capacitance values of 184.41 and 180.02 F·g−1, at 1 mV·s−1 for CAH and MAH, respectively. Furthermore, after performing 3000 CV cycles at 100 mV·s−1, the capacitance retention was 79.5% and 95.7%, respectively. Using these results as a reference, symmetric 1D FSCs were fabricated by pairing hybridized SBCFYs with MoS2 by MAH. The devices exhibited specific capacitances of approximately 58.60 ± 3.06 F·g−1 at 1 mV·s−1 and 54.81 ± 7.34 F·g−1 at 0.2 A·g−1 with the highest power density achieved being 15.17 W·g−1 and energy density of 5.06×10–4 Wh·g−1. In addition, five 1D FSCs were hand-stitched and connected in series onto a cotton fabric. These supercapacitors could power a temperature and humidity sensor for up to six minutes, demonstrating the practicality and versatility of the prepared 1D FSCs for powering future electronic systems.

Microwave absorption properties of flexible fabric coating containing Ni decorated carbon fiber with frequency selection surface incorporation

Reasonable application of double-loss absorber is one of the effective ways to improve the absorption performance of materials. In this study, Nickel (Ni) plated carbon fiber was successfully prepared by electroless plating, and Ni particles with different crystal forms were obtained by high temperature heat treatment. In addition, the modified magnetic carbon fiber is mixed with strong magnetic FeSiAl powders to improve its electromagnetic properties to obtain excellent absorbing performance. The structural characterization and analysis of the composite powders showed that the nickel particles were successfully attached to the carbon fiber surface. Further exploration of the Ni plated carbon fiber after heat treatment, the composite powders had the best absorption performance, and the minimum reflection loss value could reach −19.11 dB. Combined with the periodic frequency selection surface (FSS), the minimum reflection loss and effective bandwidth are further improved, which are −51.76 dB and the whole X band frequency range. This work helps to developing the flexible fabric coating with strong absorbility and thin thickness.

Highly-efficient uranium reduction, organic oxidation and electricity generation via a solar-driven wastewater resourceization system with a PANI/CF cathode

Co-existed organics bring great challenges for uranium recycling from water because of the formation of obstinate complexes with uranyl ions (UO22+), predominated species of uranium in water). Here, we proposed an effective strategy to simultaneously decompose organics and recycle uranium from complex radioactive wastewater, combined with electricity production, by a solar-driven wastewater resourcization system (SWRS), in which an electrodeposited polyaniline (PANI) decorated carbon fiber (CF-PANI) cathode was used for highly efficient UO22+ reduction based on the abundant –NH- groups and conductivity of PANI. Under sunlight illumination, a BiVO4 decorated WO3 nanoplate array (BVO/WNP) combined with a rear silicon cell (SC) was applied as the monolithic photoanode to generate oxidative holes and derived hydroxyl radicals for robust organic oxidation, and driven electrons to the CF-PANI cathode for uranium reduction and simultaneous electricity generation at external circuit. Compared to CF, the optimized CF-PANI improved the rate constants (k) by 6 and 6.7 times for UO22+ and organic removal, respectively, and enhanced power output by 2 times (Pmax, 1.12 mW/cm2). Additionally, near 100 % removal ratios for both UO22+ and organics accompanying with Pmax around 1 mW/cm2 were achieved by SWRS when treating model complex wastewater under wide conditions or even under real sunlight illumination. The fixed uranium on the CF-PANI cathode was mainly reduced into U(IV) species (95.8 %) and the repeated tests demonstrated the excellent stability of SWRS (without obvious decay after reusing 15 times). This work provides new insights on the resourceful treatment of radioactive wastewater and contaminated waters.

Bifunctional lithiophilic carbon fibers with hierarchical structure for high-energy lithium metal batteries

Lithium (Li) metal is an impeccable candidate anode for satisfying the energy density requirements of next-generation Li batteries. However, Li dendritic growth and fragile solid-elecrolyte interphase (SEI) caused by the high reactivity between Li and electrolyte are the primary challenges for its large-scale applications. Herein, a bifunctional lithiophilic hierarchical substrate composed of high-density nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes and Co nanoparticles encapsulated in graphene (Co@G) decorated carbon fibers (Co-N-CNT-CF) can modulate the structural dimensions and hierarchy of Li nucleation/growth and alleviate Li volume expansion, achieving the homogeneous Li plating/stripping behavior. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental results confirm the highly lithiophilicity of the substrate, which exhibits a low Li nucleation overpotential, enhanced Coulombic efficiency (CE), small voltage hysteresis, and ultrastable lifespan without dendritic formation. As coupled with the thick LiFePO4 and LiCoO2 (∼2 mA h cm−2) cathodes, the Co-N-CNT-CF@Li composite anode (N/P = 3) enables a high reversible capacity, high Li utilization, and improved cycle stability. This work engineers a hierarchical structure of the three-dimensional (3D) lithiophilic carbon substrate for realizing highly reversible, dendritic-free Li metal anodes.

Multifunctional structural composite supercapacitors based on MnO2-nanowhiskers decorated carbon fibers

We report the concept of stiff, strong, and lightweight multifunctional composites that can perform as a structural composite supercapacitor. The self-assembly of Manganese Dioxide (MnO2) nanowhiskers decorated carbon fiber (MO-CF fiber) composites enabled improvement in surface area, electrical conductivity, and a high number of active sites of the carbon fiber electrodes, thereby, exhibiting excellent charge storage capacity for the composite supercapacitors. The MO-CF-integrated composites achieved a specific capacitance of 1.1 F g−1, which is a 120-fold increase compared with neat carbon fiber–based supercapacitors. Moreover, the composite supercapacitor device showed an energy density of 2.45 W h kg−1. The fabricated device also achieved a capacitance of 1.71 F g−1 and an energy density of 3.8 Wh kg−1 in a 3 M NaCl solution. With an exceptional increase in its electrochemical properties, the MO-CF-based composite also maintained its mechanical properties, exhibiting an increase in tensile strength up to 123.6 MPa. Additionally, we demonstrated the feasibility of using a MO-CF composite as a structural supercapacitor by illuminating an LED.

Directionally Controlled Growth of Fe-Anchored Carbon Fibers by the Electrospinning Process

The utility fit, structurally controlled development of down-scaled products is a great boon to new upcoming device functions for various applications. Fe nanoparticle decorated carbon fibers created through electrospinning offer advancement opportunities due to their capacity for tunable porosity with a high surface to the volume aspect ratio, which enables efficient accessibility, resulting in better performance in device applications. Here, we report on the synthesis of Fe nanoparticle anchored polymer (PVA) fibers created using an electrospinning process followed by a carbonization process was performed at different temperatures of 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C under an inert (Ar) atmosphere. An annealing process allows the formation of pristine Fe ions rather than oxide formation, and the polymer transforms into graphitate by abnormal decomposition in PVA, without changing its fibrous morphology. The fibrous structure with uniform distribution of Fe nanoparticles product was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, field-effect scanning electron microscopy, scanning tunneling electron microscopy, and tunneling electron microscopy images.

Coupling a 3D Lithophilic Skeleton with a Fluorine-Enriched Interface to Enable Stable Lithium Metal Anode.

Lithium (Li) metal anode is known as a potential anode candidate for next-generation high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. Nevertheless, the challenge caused by the uncontrollable Li dendrites' growth and the fragile solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer seriously hinders the commercial application of Li metal batteries. Herein, we report a fluorine-enriched nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres decorated carbon fibers (FNCS@CF) skeleton which effectively integrates the uniformly distributed lithophilic sites and mechanically robust LiF-enriched SEI, thus endowing the composite Li metal anode with durable and dendrite-free features. The Li nucleation barrier is greatly reduced owing to the strong lithiophilicity characteristics of pyridinic/pyrrolic nitrogen. The fluorinated hollow carbon spheres can not only provide a powerful setting for Li deposition but can also promote the in situ formation of LiF-enriched SEI. As a result, the prepared FNCS@CF skeleton demonstrates excellent electrochemical performances such as ultrahigh average Coulombic efficiency of 99.6% over 240 cycles at 3 mA h cm-2 and remarkable cyclability (1300 h) with a low deposition overpotential of 10 mV. Furthermore, a FNCS@CF-Li|NCM full cell was also assembled which exhibits a prominent cycling stability and capacity retention even under simulated practical working conditions, i.e., low negative-to-positive capacity (N/P) ratio of 1.5 and lean electrolyte of 10 uL mAh-1.

Rationally optimized carbon fiber cloth as lithiophilic host for highly stable Li metal anodes

The practical application of lithium (Li) metal anode has been greatly hampered by irregular growth of Li dendrites and the volume expansion during the cycle. Constructing a three-dimensional lithiophilic porous framework is regarded as an effective solution. Here, using a CuO nanocluster arrays–decorated carbon fiber cloth (CuO-NC@CFC) to prestore Li via molten infusion has been testified to effectively resolve these bottlenecks. Impressively, after a violent melt-infusion process, the constructed nanostructures can be maintained and transformed into Cu/Li2O nanocluster arrays, together with highly conductive carbon fiber cloth, provide fast charge transport during Li stripping/plating process. As demonstrated by finite element simulations and experimental evidence, the formed Cu/Li2O nanocluster arrays not only redistribute Li+ flux and reduce local current density but also serve as Li nucleation sites. Consequently, the as-acquired Li/Cu-NC@CFC electrodes could significantly buffer volume fluctuation and regulate Li deposition behavior, exhibiting an ultrastable and ultralong lifespan (400 h at 5 mA/cm2 with 1 mAh/cm2 Li and 800 h at 5 mA/cm2 with 5 mAh/cm2 Li in symmetric cells). When coupled with LiFePO4, the Li/Cu-NC@CFC electrode could deliver a high capacity of 110.3 mAh/g after 500 cycles at 2 C.

BiOBr/Ag/AgBr heterojunctions decorated carbon fiber cloth with broad-spectral photoresponse as filter-membrane-shaped photocatalyst for the efficient purification of flowing wastewater

The development of recyclable photocatalysts with broad-spectral photoresponse has drawn much attention for the practical application in flowing wastewater treatment. Herein, we have reported the construction of BiOBr/Ag/AgBr junctions on carbon fiber cloth (CFC) as broad-spectral-response filter-membrane-shaped photocatalyst that is efficient and easily recyclable. With CFC as the substrate, BiOBr nanosheets (diameter: 0.5–1 μm) were firstly synthesized by a hydrothermal method, and then Ag/AgBr nanoparticles (size: 100–300 nm) were prepared on the surface of CFC/BiOBr by using a chemical bath deposition route. CFC/BiOBr/Ag/AgBr presents superior flexibility and wide UV–Vis-NIR photoabsorption (from 200 to 1000 nm). Under visible light irradiation, CFC/BiOBr/Ag/AgBr (area: 4 × 4 cm2) can remove 99.8% rhodamine B (RhB), 99.0% acid orange 7 (AO7), and 93.0% tetracycline (TC) after 120 min, better than CFC/BiOBr (95.4% RhB, 55.0% AO7 and 91.2% TC). Interestingly, when CFC/BiOBr/Ag/AgBr is served as a filter-membrane in a photoreactor to purify the flowing sewage (RhB, rate: ~1.5 L h−1), the degradation rate of RhB goes up to 90.0% after ten filtering grades. Therefore, CFC/BiOBr/Ag/AgBr has great potential to purify the flowing wastewater as a novel filter-membrane-shaped photocatalyst.

Eggshell membrane templated synthesis of Ni/MoC decorated carbon fibers with good electrochemical behavior

In this paper, we identified a synthetic method to design nickel-molybdenum carbide decorated carbonized eggshell membrane (Ni–MoC/CESM) via hydrothermal and carbonization processes and studied the electrochemical performance of the as-synthesized product for supercapacitor applications. A discarded eggshell membrane (ESM) was used as a template for the growth of NiMoO4 at its fiber network via hydrothermal treatment and subsequently carbonized under an inert atmosphere at 900 °C to prepare Ni–MoC/CESM composite. The Ni–MoC/CESM composite showed good electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 312 F/g at the current density of 1 A/g in a 2 M KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, 87.4% of capacitance retention was achieved after 2000 cycles.

Preparation of low-load Au-Pd alloy decorated carbon fibers binder-free cathode for Li-O2 battery

Developing high-performance cathode is critical to facilitating the development of lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries. In this work, a low-load (1.32%) Au-Pd alloy decorated carbon fibers binder-free cathode is prepared by facile magnetron sputtering (MS). It is the first use as a cathode material for Li-O2 batteries, and exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. During the second to the 30th cycle of the battery operation at a current density of 100 mA g−1 with a limited specific capacity density of 1000 mAh g−1, the charge and discharge polarization voltage is only about 0.6 V. In addition, the problem of abnormal charge polarization voltage in the first cycle is also investigated. The by-products Li2CO3 are formed during the first discharge, resulting in a significant increase in the charge polarization voltage. The facile preparation method we adopted and our findings may provide new ideas for the future development of Au-Pd alloy composites in Li-O2 or other metal-air batteries.

NiMoO4 nanoparticles decorated carbon nanofiber membranes for the flexible and high performance glucose sensors

The free-standing and flexible carbonaceous nanofiber membrane (CNF) comprising of NiMoO4 nanoparticles decorated carbon fibers were developed for glucose sensing analysis. The applicability of polymeric nanofiber membranes in electrochemical sensors is accelerated by enhancing their electrical conductivity via carbonization process. The cavities exist in CNFs accelerate the rapid diffusion of glucose and maximizes the analyte utilization efficiency. The uniform implantation of catalytic active sites of NiMoO4 on CNFs accelerates the glucose sensing kinetics further. With the synergism of bimetal active sites, porous architecture, and conductive carbon network, NiMoO4/CNF demonstrates the excellent sensitivity, low detection limit, and broad linear range, respectively, of 301.77 μA mM−1 cm−2, 50 nM, and 0.0003–4.5 mM toward glucose sensing. Also, the sensing concerts of NiMoO4/CNF are reliable, repeatable, and electrochemically stable along with the high specificity and real sample applicability toward glucose detection. Thus, the free-standing, bendable, binder-free, reusable, and cost-efficient fabrication process developed for the NiMoO4/CNF membrane realizes it’s conscription in the development of cost-efficient and high performance glucose sensors.

Endowing electrospun carbon fiber with excellent electrocatalytic properties towards VO2+/VO2+ redox reaction for vanadium redox flow battery by in situ iridium decoration

Electrospun carbon fiber shows extensive application prospect in vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) due to high electrical conductivity and large specific surface area. In this paper, in situ iridium (Ir) decoration by electrospinning technique was applied to further improve the performance of carbon fiber. In our work, Ir decorated carbon fiber (CF/Ir) composites with the diameter of about 200 nm was prepared via electrospinning technique and subsequent carbonization process. The morphology, composition, as well as electrochemical properties of CF/Ir have been systematically studied. CF-Ir-2 composite with proper Ir content showed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards VO2+/VO2+ redox reaction among all electrodes. Moreover, the cell performs well at charge-discharge measurements by employing CF-Ir-2 as positive electrode at the current density of 50–150 mA cm-2. The discharge capacity of the cell using CF-Ir-2 can reach 79.5 mA h, increased by 43.1 mA h compared with that of the cell using CF, at the current density of 150 mA cm-2. The corresponding energy efficiency for CF-Ir-2 is 12.2 % higher than that for CF. The superior electrocatalytic performance of CF/Ir composite was ascribed to the introduction of Ir as active sites and the strong connection between Ir and carbon fiber via electrospinning technique. In conclusion, Ir decorated carbon fiber as positive electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic properties for VRFB.

Preparation and characterization of nickel nanoparticles decorated carbon fibers derived from discarded ostrich eggshell membranes for supercapacitors application

In this report, we have forwarded an idea to turn waste into wealth, herein, we have synthesized metallic nickel nanoparticles decorated carbon fibers (Ni-NPs/CFs) derived from discarded ostrich eggshell membrane (OESMs) via a simple and cost-effective process. As-fabricated Ni-NPs/CFs composite was characterized via field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The morphology of Ni-NPs/CFs clearly revealed the successful deposition of metallic nickel nanoparticles on the surface of CFs. As-fabricated Ni-NPs/CFs composite was employed as electrode materials for supercapacitors. The specific capacitance of Ni-NPs/CFs composite was calculated and found to be 191.55 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, which is higher than pure CFs (13.8 F g−1). Furthermore, as-fabricated Ni-NPs/CFs composite retained 88.39% of the original capacitance after 1000 cycles. The obtained Ni-NPs/CFs composite seems to be a potential electrode materials for supercapacitors.

Improving hydrogen evolution reaction and capacitive properties on CoS/MoS2 decorated carbon fibers

We report a facile method to transform abundantly dumped banana stem fibers into carbon fibers (CFs) useful for energy applications. The CFs surface area is increased by varying the quantity of KOH activation to 488 m2g-1. The solvothermal method is used to synthesize CoS, CoS/MoS2 and also grown on the activated carbon fibers (ACFs). Nano nodules of CoS arranged into sheets and layers of MoS2 stacked together were found in FESEM analysis. The morphology of the CoS/MoS2 differs when grown on ACFs. The growth of CoS/MoS2 along the ACFs length prevents any stacking of the pseudocapacitance materials. The ternary composite ACFs/CoS/MoS2 exhibits superior supercapacitor behavior as well as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to the synergetic effect of the conducting ACF surface and redox active CoS/MoS2. A maximum specific capacitance of 733 Fg-1, energy and power density of 33 WhKg−1 and 999 WKg-1 respectively are obtained. A low Tafel slope value of 61 mVdec−1 is obtained for the ACFs/CoS/MoS2 ternary composite electrode. The present work therefore offers a fresh insight into the effective conversion of waste materials into electrode material for energy storage and conversion applications.