Supersonically Sprayed Zn₂SnO₄/SnO₂/CNT Nanocomposites for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate rapid and facile supersonic cold spray deposition of Zn2SnO4 /SnO2/CNT nanocomposite supercapacitor electrodes with promising combinations of power and energy density. Cyclic voltammetry confirmed the capacitive behavior of the optimized electrode, with specific capacitance reaching 260 F·g–1 at a current density of 10 A·g–1. We attribute this high performance to the optimal combination of CNT (carbon nanotube; double-layer capacitance) and Zn2SnO4 /SnO2 (pseudocapacitance) properties. The mesoporous and accessible surface of the CNT significantly contributed to the excellent retention (approximately 93%) of the specific capacitance after 15000 galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles. In addition, the supercapacitor exhibited a remarkable energy density, electrochemical properties, and mechanical stability. The materials and approach presented here can enable cost-effective, efficient, and scalable production of high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.

Carbon Transition‐metal Oxide Electrodes: Understanding the Role of Surface Engineering for High Energy Density Supercapacitors

“…[57] A conductive substrate as the working electrode is used and the deposition conditions, such as scan rate, number of cycles, electrolyte concentration, and pH, are used as controlling parameters to achieve high surface area and uniform deposition. Since different anions coordinate differently [79] Zn 2 SnO 4 /SnO 2 /CNT on Ni foil mechanical ball milling followed by supersonic cold spray and annealing at 500°C under Ar polymer (PAN) dispersant [162] 3D porous carbon-TiO 2 /MnO 2 composite on SS wafer spin coating polymer-metal oxide gel followed by thermal carbonization…”

“…(f) Schematic structures of Zn 2 SnO 4 /SnO 2 , CNT, and Zn 2 SnO 4 /SnO 2 /CNT and the supersonic cold spray system. Reproduced with permission from ref., [68] Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 composite electrode can be highly strategic while aiming for a supercapacitor with high power/energy density, superior rate capability, and cyclic stability.…”

“…Several studies have also been reported by adopting a similar concept in the hope to further improve the rate performance of SC. [52,68,89,90] For example, Cai et al constructed a 1D CNT-NiCo 2 O 4 nanosheet core-shell structure nanocable via facile chemical bath deposition method followed by post-calcination under air atmosphere. [91] The synthesis route achieved high-mass growth of NiCo 2 O 4 nanostructures on CNTs and prevented severe agglomeration, resulting in an increase in overall electrical conductivity and surface area.…”

“…Then, the pre-deposited NiCo 2 O 4 on CC was treated with Ni salt and pbenzenedicarboxylic acid (PTA) in the N,N dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent at 220°C to obtain the hierarchical NiCo 2 O 4 @Ni-MOF composite on CC. Samuel et al used a supersonic cold spray system to deposit Zn 2 SnO 4 /SnO 2 -CNT composite on Ni foil substrate [68]. Zn 2 SnO 4 / SnO 2 nanoparticles were first prepared by high energy ball milling of commercial SnO 2 and ZnO, followed by mixing with CNT and dispersant polymer (polyacrylonitrile) in DMF solution.…”

Preparation of NiO decorated CNT/ZnO core-shell hybrid nanocomposites with the aid of ultrasonication for enhancing the performance of hybrid supercapacitors

“…Few other studies also proved that the fabrication of CNT and ZnO based composite electrodes gives the improved performance [25] , [26] , [27] . Surprisingly, a recent study related to CNTs uncovered the dramatical improvement in the performance of the composite electrode when it is combined with mixed metal oxides [28] . Thus, it is anticipated that the addition of second metal oxide can tremendously enhance the charge storage capacity of the CNT/ZnO composite.…”