Coupling of Adhesion and Anti‑Freezing Properties in Hydrogel Electrolytes for Low‑Temperature Aqueous‑Based Hybrid Capacitors

Solid-state zinc-ion capacitors are emerging as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage owing to improved safety,mechanical and thermal stability and easy-to-direct stacking.Hydrogel electrolytes are appealing solid-state electrolytes because of eco-friendliness,high conductivity and intrinsic flexibility.However,the electrolyte/electrode interfacial contact and anti-freezing properties of current hydrogel electrolytes are still challenging for practical applications of zinc-ion capacitors.Here,we report a class of hydrogel electrolytes that couple high interfacial adhesion and anti-freezing performance.The synergy of tough hydrogel matrix and chemical anchorage enables a well-adhered interface between hydrogel electrolyte and electrode.Meanwhile,the cooperative solvation of ZnCl2 and LiCl hybrid salts renders the hydrogel electrolyte high ionic conductivity and mechanical elasticity simultaneously at low temperatures.More significantly,the Zn||carbon nanotubes hybrid capacitor based on this hydrogel electrolyte exhibits low-temperature capacitive performance,delivering high-energy density of 39 Wh kg^(-1)at-60°C with capacity retention of 98.7%over 10,000 cycles.With the benefits of the well-adhered electrolyte/electrode interface and the anti-freezing hydrogel electrolyte,the Zn/Li hybrid capacitor is able to accommodate dynamic deformations and function well under 1000 tension cycles even at-60°C.This work provides a powerful strategy for enabling stable operation of low-temperature zinc-ion capacitors.

Vacancy defect MoSeTe embedded in N and F co-doped carbon skeleton for high performance sodium ion batteries and hybrid capacitors

Sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) and hybrid capacitors(SIHCs) have garnered significant attention in energy storage due to their inherent advantages,including high energy density,cost-effectiveness,and enhanced safety.However,developing high-performance anode materials to improve sodium storage performa nce still remains a major challenge.Here,a facile one-pot method has been developed to fabricate a hybrid of MoSeTe nanosheets implanted within the N,F co-doped honeycomb carbon skeleton(MoSeTe/N,F@C).Experimental results demonstrate that the incorporation of large-sized Te atoms into MoSeTe nanosheets enlarges the layer spacing and creates abundant anion vacancies,which effectively facilitate the insertion/extraction of Na^(+) and provide numerous ion adsorption sites for rapid surface capacitive behavior.Additionally,the heteroatoms N,F co-doped honeycomb carbon skeleton with a highly conductive network can restrain the volume expansion and boost reaction kinetics within the electrode.As anticipated,the MoSeTe/N,F@C anode exhibits high reversible capacities along with exceptional cycle stability.When coupled with Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)@C(NVPF@C) to form SIB full cells,the anode delivers a reversible specific capacity of 126 mA h g^(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^(-1).Furthermore,when combined with AC to form SIHC full cells,the anode demonstrates excellent cycling stability with a reversible specific capacity of50 mA h g^(-1) keeping over 3700 cycles at 1.0 A g^(-1).In situ XRD,ex situ TEM characterization,and theoretical calculations(DFT) further confirm the reversibility of sodium storage in MoSeTe/N,F@C anode materials during electrochemical reactions,highlighting their potential for widespread practical application.This work provides new insights into the promising utilization of advanced transition metal dichalcogenides as anode materials for Na^(+)-based energy storage devices.

Status and Opportunities of Zinc Ion Hybrid Capacitors: Focus on Carbon Materials, Current Collectors, and Separators

Zinc ion hybrid capacitors(ZIHCs), which integrate the features of the high power of supercapacitors and the high energy of zinc ion batteries, are promising competitors in future electrochemical energy storage applications. Carbon-based materials are deemed the competitive candidates for cathodes of ZIHC due to their cost-effectiveness, high electronic conductivity, chemical inertness, controllable surface states, and tunable pore architectures. In recent years, great research efforts have been devoted to further improving the energy density and cycling stability of ZIHCs. Reasonable modification and optimization of carbon-based materials offer a remedy for these challenges. In this review, the structural design, and electrochemical properties of carbon-based cathode materials with different dimensions, as well as the selection of compatible, robust current collectors and separators for ZIHCs are discussed. The challenges and prospects of ZIHCs are showcased to guide the innovative development of carbon-based cathode materials and the development of novel ZIHCs.

Defect Engineering of Disordered Carbon Anodes with Ultra-High Heteroatom Doping Through a Supermolecule-Mediated Strategy for Potassium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors

Amorphous carbons are promising anodes for high-rate potassium-ion batteries.Most low-temperature annealed amorphous carbons display unsatisfactory capacities.Heteroatom-induced defect engineering of amorphous carbons could enhance their reversible capacities.Nevertheless,most lignocellulose biomasses lack heteroatoms,making it a challenge to design highly heteroatom-doped carbons(>10 at%).Herein,we report a new preparation strategy for amorphous carbon anodes.Nitrogen/sulfur co-doped lignin-derived porous carbons(NSLPC)with ultra-high nitrogen doping levels(21.6 at%of N and 0.8 at%of S)from renewable lignin biomacromolecule precursors were prepared through a supramolecule-mediated pyrolysis strategy.This supermolecule/lignin composite decomposes forming a covalently bonded graphitic carbon/amorphous carbon intermediate product,which induces the formation of high heteroatom doping in the obtained NSLPC.This unique pyrolysis chemistry and high heteroatom doping of NSLPC enable abundant defective active sites for the adsorption of K+and improved kinetics.The NSLPC anode delivered a high reversible capacity of 419 mAh g^(-1)and superior cycling stability(capacity retention of 96.6%at 1 A g^(-1)for 1000 cycles).Potassiumion hybrid capacitors assembled by NSLPC anode exhibited excellent cycling stability(91%capacity retention for 2000 cycles)and a high energy density of 71 Wh kg^(-1)at a power density of 92 W kg^(-1).

Nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets as both anode and cathode for advanced potassium-ion hybrid capacitors

Potassium-ion hybrid capacitors(PIHCs)as a burgeoning research hotspot are an ideal replacement for lithium-ion hybrid capacitors(LIHCs).Here,we report nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets(NPCNs)with enlarged interlayer spacing,abundant defects,and favorable mesoporous structures.The structural changes of NPCNs in potassiation and depotassiation processes are analyzed by using Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Due to the unique structure of NPCNs,the PIHC device assembled using NPCNs as both the anode and cathode material(double-functional self-matching material)exhibits a superior energy density of 128 Wh kg^(-1)with a capacity retention of 90.8%after 9000 cycles.This research can promote the development of double-functional self-matching materials for hybrid energy storage devices with ultra-high performance.

Freestanding fibers assembled by CoPSe@N-doped carbon heterostructures as an anode for fast potassium storage in hybrid capacitors

Although the fast development of potassium-ion hybrid capacitors(PIHC)recently,the issues such as the slow kinetics and poor durability of potassium ion hosts greatly restric their applications.Herein,a freestanding fiber(NHF fiber)with necklace-like configuration and CoPSe@N-doped carbon(CoPSe@NCNT)heterostructured units is introduced as the anode in PIHC.The highly porous network of NHF fiber facilitates the fast ion transports and promises the good high-rate property.Additionally,the nanoscle crystallites inside in-situ grown NCNT favor the high adaption to volume expansion/shrinkage and endow good structure stability during ion insertion/deinsertion.Density function theoretical(DFT)calculations disclose the CoPSe@NCNT heterostructure has improved intrinsic conductivity,fast potassium migration,and decreased energy barrier.Meanwhile,the finite element simulation analysis(FEA)reveals the decreased stress inside the NHF architecture during charge/discharge processes.Moreover,the electrochemical tests confirm the fast and durable properties of the CoPSe@NCNT NHF fibers for potassium storage.Furthermore,the PIHC full cell with the anode of CoPSe@NCNT NHF fiber is assembled,which obtains the superior energy/power densities and high capacity retention(89%)after 2000 cycles at 2 A g^(-1).When the polymer electrolyte is incooperated,the flexible PIHC device achieves the good pliability and good adaptation during wide temperature changes from-20 to 25℃.Therefore,this work introduces a novel anode for fast potassium ion storage,and opens a new approach to assemble the power sources for flexible electronics in diverse conditions.

Novel Bilayer-Shelled N,O-Doped Hollow Porous Carbon Microspheres as High Performance Anode for Potassium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors

With the advantages of high energy/power density,long cycling life and low cost,dual-carbon potassium ion hybrid capacitors(PIHCs)have great potential in the field of energy storage.Here,a novel bilayer-shelled N,O-doped hollow porous carbon microspheres(NOHPC)anode has been prepared by a self-template method,which is consisted of a dense thin shell and a hollow porous spherical core.Excitingly,the NOHPC anode possesses a high K-storage capacity of 325.9 mA h g^(−1)at 0.1 A g^(−1)and a capacity of 201.1 mAh g^(−1)at 5 A g^(−1)after 6000 cycles.In combination with ex situ characterizations and density functional theory calculations,the high reversible capacity has been demonstrated to be attributed to the co-doping of N/O heteroatoms and porous structure improved K+adsorption and intercalation capabilities,and the stable long-cycling performance originating from the bilayer-shelled hollow porous carbon sphere structure.Meanwhile,the hollow porous activated carbon microspheres(HPAC)cathode with a high specific surface area(1472.65 m^(2)g^(−1))deriving from etching NOHPC with KOH,contributing to a high electrochemical adsorption capacity of 71.2 mAh g^(−1)at 1 A g^(−1).Notably,the NOHPC//HPAC PIHC delivers a high energy density of 90.1 Wh kg^(−1)at a power density of 939.6 W kg^(−1)after 6000 consecutive charge-discharge cycles.

Potassium pre-inserted K1.04Mn8O16 as cathode materials for aqueous Li-ion and Na-ion hybrid capacitors

For the applications of aqueous Li-ion hybrid capacitors and Na-ion hybrid capacitors,potassium ions are pre-inserted into MnO2 tunnel structure,the as-prepared K1.04Mn8 O16 materials consist of nanoparticles and nanorods were prepared by facile high-temperature solid-state reaction.The as-prepared materials were well studied and they show outstanding electrochemical behavior.We assembled hybrid supercapacitors with commercial activated carbon(YEC-8 A)as anode and K1.04Mn8 O16 as cathode.It shows high energy and power densities.Li-ion capacitors reach a high energy density of 127.61 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 99.86 W kg-1 and Na-ion capacitor obtains 170.96 Wh kg-1 at 133.79 W kg-1.In addition,the hybrid supercapacitors demonstrate excellent cycling performance which maintain 97%capacitance retention for Li-ion capacitor and 85%for Na-ion capacitor after 10,000 cycles.

Enabling Multi-Chemisorption Sites on Carbon Nanofibers Cathodes by an In-situ Exfoliation Strategy for High-Performance Zn–Ion Hybrid Capacitors

Carbon nanofibers films are typical flexible electrode in the field of energy storage,but their application in Zinc-ion hybrid capacitors(ZIHCs)is limited by the low energy density due to the lack of active adsorption sites.In this work,an in-situ exfoliation strategy is reported to modulate the chemisorption sites of carbon nanofibers by high pyridine/pyrrole nitrogen doping and carbonyl functionalization.The experimental results and theoretical calculations indicate that the highly electronegative pyridine/pyrrole nitrogen dopants can not only greatly reduce the binding energy between carbonyl group and Z n2+by inducing charge delocalization of the carbonyl group,but also promote the adsorption of Zn2+by bonding with the carbonyl group to form N–Zn–O bond.Benefit from the multiple highly active chemisorption sites generated by the synergy between carbonyl groups and pyridine/pyrrole nitrogen atoms,the resulting carbon nanofibers film cathode displays a high energy density,an ultralong-term lifespan,and excellent capacity reservation under commercial mass loading(14.45 mg cm-2).Particularly,the cathodes can also operate stably in flexible or quasi-solid devices,indicating its application potential in flexible electronic products.This work established a universal method to solve the bottleneck problem of insufficient active adsorption sites of carbon-based ZIHCs.Imoproved should be changed into Improved.

Pyridinic nitrogen enriched porous carbon derived from bimetal organic frameworks for high capacity zinc ion hybrid capacitors with remarkable rate capability

Aqueous zinc ion hybrid capacitors(ZIHCs)hold great potential for large-scale energy storage applications owing to their high safety and low cost,but suffer from low capacity and energy density.Herein,pyridinic nitrogen enriched porous carbon(nPC)was successfully synthesized via the growth,subsequent annealing and acid etching of bimetal organic frameworks for high capacity and safe ZIHCs with exceptional rate capability.Benefiting from the mesopores for easy ion diffusion,high electrical conductivity enabled by in-situ grown carbon nanotubes matrix and residual metal Co nanoparticles for fast electron transfer,sufficient micropores and high N content(8.9 at%)with dominated pyridinic N(54%)for enhanced zinc ion storage,the resulting nPC cathodes for ZIHCs achieved high capacities of 302 and137 m Ah g^(-1) at 1 and 18 A g^(-1),outperforming most reported carbon based cathodes.Theoretical results further disclosed that pyridinic N possessed larger binding energy of-4.99 eV to chemically coordinate with Zn2+than other N species.Moreover,quasi-solid-state ZIHCs with gelatin based gel electrolytes exhibited high energy density of 157.6 Wh kg^(-1) at 0.69 kW kg^(-1),high safety and mechanical flexibility to withstand mechanical deformation and drilling.This strategy of developing pyridinic nitrogen enriched porous carbon will pave a new avenue to construct safe ZIHCs with high energy densities.

Cocoon Silk-Derived, Hierarchically Porous Carbon as Anode for Highly Robust Potassium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors

Potassium-ion hybrid capacitors(KIHCs) have attracted increasing research interest because of the virtues of potassium-ion batteries and supercapacitors.The development of KIHCs is subject to the investigation of applicable K+storage materials which are able to accommodate the relatively large size and high activity of potassium.Here,we report a cocoon silk chemistry strategy to synthesize a hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon(SHPNC).The as-prepared SHPNC with high surface area and rich N-doping not only offers highly efficient channels for the fast transport of electrons and K ions during cycling,but also provides sufficient void space to relieve volume expansion of electrode and improves its stability.Therefore,KIHCs with SHPNC anode and activated carbon cathode afford high energy of 135 Wh kg-1(calculated based on the total mass of anode and cathode),long lifespan,and ultrafast charge/slow discharge performance.This study defines that the KIHCs show great application prospect in the field of high-performance energy storage devices.

Fast ion diffusion alloy layer facilitating 3D mesh substrate for dendrite-free zinc-ion hybrid capacitors

Although aqueous zinc ion hybrid capacitors have advantageous integration of batteries and supercapacitors,they still suffer from the inherent problems of dendrite growth and interfacial side reactions on Zn anodes.Herein,a universal fast zinc-ion diffusion layer on a three-dimensional(3 D)mesh structure model is demonstrated to effectively improve Zn plating/stripping reversibility.The fast ion diffusion alloy layer accelerates the Zn^(2+)migration in an orderly manner to homogenize Zn^(2+)flux and overcomes the defects of the commercial mesh substrate,effectively avoiding dendrite growth and side reactions.Consequently,the proof-of-concept silver-zinc alloy modified stainless steel mesh delivers superb reversibility with the high coulombic efficiency over 99.4%at 4 mA cm^(-2)after 1600 cycles and excellent reliability of over 830 h at 1 mA cm^(-2),Its feasibility is also evidenced in commercial zinc ion hybrid capacitors with activated carbon as the cathode.This work enriches the fundamental comprehension of fast zinc-ion diffusion layer combined with a 3 D substrate on the Zn deposition and opens a universal approach to design advanced host for Zn electrodes in zinc ion hybrid capacitors.

A General Self-Sacrifice Template Strategy to 3D Heteroatom-Doped Macroporous Carbon for High-Performance Potassium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors

Potassium-ion hybrid capacitors(PIHCs)tactfully combining capacitor-type cathode with battery-type anode have recently attracted increasing attentions due to their advantages of decent energy density,high power density,and low cost;the mismatches of capacity and kinetics between capacitor-type cathode and battery-type anode in PIHCs yet hinder their overall performance output.Herein,based on prediction of density functional theory calculations,we find Se/N co-doped porous carbon is a promising candidate for K+storage and thus develop a simple and universal self-sacrifice template method to fabricate Se and N co-doped three-dimensional(3D)macroporous carbon(Se/N-3DMpC),which features favorable properties of connective hier-archical pores,expanded interlayer structure,and rich activity site for boosting pseudocapacitive activity and kinetics toward K^(+)storage anode and enhancing capacitance performance for the reversible anion adsorption/desorption cath-ode.As expected,the as-assembled PIHCs full cell with a working voltage as high as 4.0 V delivers a high energy density of 186 Wh kg^(−1) and a power output of 8100 W kg^(−1) as well as excellent long service life.The proof-of-concept PIHCs with excellent performance open a new avenue for the development and application of high-performance hybrid capacitors.

High-energy sodium-ion hybrid capacitors through nanograin-boundary-induced pseudocapacitance of Co_(3)O_(4) nanorods

Sodium-ion hybrid capacitors (SICs) have been proposed to bridge performance gaps between batteries and supercapacitors,and thus realize both high energy density and power density in a single configuration.Nevertheless,applications of SICs are severely restricted by their insufficient energy densities (<100Wh/kg) resulted from the kinetics imbalance between cathodes and anodes.Herein,we report a nanograin-boundary-rich hierarchical Co_(3)O_(4) nanorod anode composed of~20 nm nanocrystallites.Extreme pseudocapacitance (up to 72%@1.0 mV/s) is achieved through nanograin-boundary-induced pseudocapacitive-type Na^(+) storage process.Co_(3)O_(4) nanorod anode delivers in this case highly reversible capacity (810 mAh/g@0.025 A/g),excellent rate capability (335 mAh/g@5.0 A/g),and improved cycle stability (100 cycles@1.0 A/g with negligible capacity degradation).The outstanding performance can be credited to the hierarchical morphology of Co_(3)O_(4) nanorods and the well-designed nanograinboundaries between nanocrystallites that avoid particle agglomeration,induce pseudocapacitive-type Na^(+) storage,and accommodate volume variation during sodiation-desodiation processes.Nitrogendoping of the Co_(3)O_(4) nanorods not only generates defects for extra surficial Na^(+) storage but also increases the electronic conductivity for efficient charge separation and lowers energy barrier for Na^(+) intercalation.Synergy of conventional reaction mechanism and pseudocapacitive-type Na^(+) storage enables high specific capacity,rapid Na^(+) diffusion,and improved structural stability of the Co_(3)O_(4) nanorod electrode.The SIC integrating this highly pseudocapacitive anode and activated carbon cathode delivers exceptional energy density (175 Wh/kg@40 W/kg),power density (6632 W/kg@37 Wh/kg),cycle life (6000 cycles@1.0 A/g with a capacity retention of 81%),and coulombic efficiency (~100%).

Synthesis and Characterization of VO_2/Mesoporous Carbon Composites for Hybrid Capacitors

VO2/ordered mesoporous carbon （CMK-3） composites were prepared by solid-state reaction process. The microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, nitrogen adsorption and desorption, field-emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The experimental results showed that the vanadium oxide in the composites was vanadium dioxide （VO2） with monoclinic structure, which was artificially loaded on the outer surface of CMK-3. VO2/ordered mesoporous carbon composites present a significantly improved capacitive performance （131 F/g） increased by 40.86% compared to that of CMK-3 carbon （93 F/g）. Therefore, as-prepared VO2/mesoporous carbon composites suggest promising applications in hybrid capacitors.

Designing g-C_(3)N_(4)/N-Rich Carbon Fiber Composites for High-Performance Potassium-Ion Hybrid Capacitors

Potassium-based energy storage devices(PEDS)are considered as hopeful candidates for energy storage applications because of the abundant potassium resources in nature and high mobility in the electrolyte.although carbon materials show great potential for potassium-ion storage,poor rate performance,and unsatisfactory cycle lifespan in existing carbon-based PIBs anode,it also cannot match the dynamics and stability of the capacitor cathode.Nitrogen doping has been proven to be a effective modification strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of carbon materials.Hence,we prepare carbon nanofibers and g-C_(3)N_(4)composites with high nitrogen contents(19.78 at%);moreover,the sum of pyrrolic N and pyridinic N is up to 59.51%.It achieves high discharge capacity(391 m Ah g^(-1)at0.05 A g^(-1)),rate capacity(141 m Ah g^(-1)at 2 A g^(-1)),and long cycling performance(201 m Ah g^(-1)at 1 A g^(-1)over 3000 cycles)when as an anode for PIBs.Furthermore,it can deliver promising discharge capacity of132 m Ah g^(-1)at 0℃.Moreover,as battery anode for potassium-ion hybrid capacitors(PIHC)device with an active carbon cathode,it delivers energy/power density(62 and 2102 W kg^(-1))as well as high reversible capacity(106 m Ah g^(-1)at 1 A g^(-1)).

Phosphorous-doped carbon nanotube/reduced graphene oxide aerogel cathode enabled by pseudocapacitance for high energy and power zinc-ion hybrid capacitors

The design and development of energy storage device with high energy/power density has become a research hotspot.Zinc-ion hybrid capacitors(ZHCs)are considered as one of the most promising candidates.However,the application of ZHCs is hindered by their low energy density at high power density due to the unsatisfactory cathode material.In this study,a novel 3D phosphorus-doped carbon nanotube/reduced graphene oxide(P-CNT/rGO)aerogel cathode is synthesized through a synergistic modification strategy of CNT insertion and P doping modification combined with 3D porous design.The as-obtained P-CNT/rGO aerogel cathode manifests significantly increased surface aera,expanded interlayer spacing,and enhanced pseudocapacitance behavior,thus leading to significantly enhanced specific capacitance and superb ions transport performance.The as-assembled ZHC based on P-CNT/rGO cathode delivers a superior energy density of 42.2 Wh/kg at an extreme-high power density of 80 kW/kg and excellent cycle life.In-depth kinetic analyses are undertaken to prove the enhanced pseudocapacitance behavior and exceptional power output capability of ZHCs.Furthermore,the reaction mechanism of physical and chemical adsorption/desorption of electrolyte ions on the P-CNT/rGO cathode is revealed by systematic ex-situ characterizations.This work can provide a valuable reference for developing advanced graphene-based cathode for high energy/power density ZHCs.

High-yield production of porous carbon spheres derived from enzymatic hydrolysis lignin for zinc ion hybrid capacitors

The widespread implementation of supercapacitors is hindered by the limited energy density and the pricey porous carbon electrode materials.The cost of porous carbon is a significant factor in the overall cost of supercapacitors,therefore a high carbon yield could effectively mitigate the production cost of porous carbon.This study proposes a method to produce porous carbon spheres through a spray drying technique combined with a carbonization process,utilizing renewable enzymatic hydrolysis lignin as the carbon source and KOH as the activation agent.The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the quantity of activation agent and the development of morphology,pore structure,and specific surface area of the obtained porous carbon materials.We demonstrate that this approach significantly enhances the carbon yield of porous carbon,achieving a yield of 22%in contrast to the conventional carbonization-activation method(9%).The samples acquired through this method were found to contain a substantial amount of mesopores,with an average pore size of 1.59 to 1.85 nm and a mesopore ratio of 25.6%.Additionally,these samples showed high specific surface areas,ranging from 1051 to 1831 m2·g^(−1).Zinc ion hybrid capacitors with lignin-derived porous carbon cathode exhibited a high capacitance of 279 F·g^(−1) at 0.1 A·g^(−1) and an energy density of 99.1 Wh·kg^(−1) when the power density was 80 kW·kg^(−1).This research presents a novel approach for producing porous carbons with high yield through the utilization of a spray drying approach.

3D nitrogen and boron dual-doped carbon quantum dots/reduced graphene oxide aerogel for advanced aqueous and flexible quasi-solid-state zinc-ion hybrid capacitors

As prospective energy storage devices,zinc-ion hybrid capacitors(ZHCs)still suffer from unsatisfactory cathode materials.Herein,the three dimensional(3D)N,B dual-doped carbon quantum dots/reduced graphene oxide(N,B-CQDs/rGO)composite aerogel is prepared via a onepot hydrothermal method.Thanks to the synergism of CQDs modification and N,B dual-doping,the resultant N,B-CQDs/rGO composite aerogel delivers superior electrochemical properties.Furthermore,the as-obtained N,B-CQDs/rGO composite aerogel is served as a cathode for aqueous and flexible quasi-solid-state ZHCs for the first time.Impressively,the aqueous N,B-CQDs/rGO//Zn ZHC manifests a large energy density of 96.2 Wh·kg^(-1)at80 W·kg^(-1)and still remains a high energy density of 54.7Wh·kg^(-1)at a superb power density of 80 kW·kg^(-1).Meanwhile,kinetic analyses are employed to elucidate the prominent power performance,and various ex situ tests are undertaken to explore the energy storage mechanism of aqueous ZHC.More notably,the flexible quasi-solid-state N,B-CQDs/rGO//Zn ZHC displays a desirable energy density(89.1μWh·cm^(-2)),a superior power density(96,000μW·cm^(-2))and exceptional flexible performance.The present study offers a valuable reference for designing and developing advanced cathode materials for aqueous and flexible quasi-solid-state ZHCs.

Surface engineering towards high-energy carbon cathode for advanced aqueous zinc-ion hybrid capacitors

Opportunities coexist with challenges for the development of carbon-based cathodes with a high energy density applied for zinc ion hybrid capacitors(ZIHCs).In the present study,a facile and effective surface engineering approach is demonstrated to greatly improve the energy storage ability of commercial carbon paper(CP)in ZIHC.Benefiting from the introduced oxygen functional groups,larger surface area and improved surface wettability upon air calcination,the assembled aqueous ZIHC with the functionalized carbon paper(FCP)exhibits a much higher areal capacity of 0.22 mAh/cm^(2)at 1 mA/cm^(2),outperforming the counterpart with blank CP by over 5000 times.More importantly,a superior energy density and power density of 130.8μWh/cm^(2)and 7460.5μW/cm^(2),are respectively delivered.Furthermore,more than 90%of the initial capacity is retained over 10000 cycles.This surface engineering strategy to improve the energy storage capability is potentially applicable to developing a wide range of high-energy carbon electrode materials.