The search for faster, safer, and
more efficient energy storage
systems continues to inspire researchers to develop new energy storage
materials with ultrahigh performance. Mesoporous nanostructures are
interesting for supercapacitors because of their high surface area,
controlled porosity, and large number of active sites, which promise
the utilization of the full capacitance of active materials. Herein,
highly ordered mesoporous CuCo2O4 nanowires
have been synthesized by nanocasting from a silica SBA-15 template.
These nanowires exhibit superior pseudocapacitance of 1210 F g–1 in the initial cycles. Electroactivation of the electrode
in the subsequent 250 cycles causes a significant increase in capacitance
to 3080 F g–1. An asymmetric supercapacitor composed
of mesoporous CuCo2O4 nanowires for the positive
electrode and activated carbon for the negative electrode demonstrates
an ultrahigh energy density of 42.8 Wh kg–1 with
a power density of 15 kW kg–1 plus excellent cycle
life. We also show that two asymmetric devices in series can efficiently
power 5 mm diameter blue, green, and red LED indicators for 60 min.
This work could lead to a new generation of hybrid supercapacitors
to bridge the energy gap between chemical batteries and double layer
supercapacitors.
CuCo2O4 nanostructures were synthesized through a facile solution combustion method. Electrochemical investigations demonstrate a novel electrode material for supercapacitors with remarkable performance including high-rate capability, high-power density (22.11 kW kg(-1)) and desirable cycling stability at different current densities.
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