MnO2/carbon nanocomposite based on silkworm excrement for high-performance supercapacitors

MnO/biomass carbon nanocomposite was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction.Silkworm excrement acted as a carbon precursor,which was activated by ZnCland FeClcombining chemical agents under Ar atmosphere.Thin and flower-like MnOnanowires were in-situ anchored on the surface of the biomass carbon.The biomass carbon not only offered high conductivity and good structural stability but also relieved the large volume expansion during the charge/discharge process.The obtained MnO/biomass carbon nanocomposite electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance(238 F·gat 0.5 A·g) and a superior cycling stability with only 7% degradation after 2000 cycles.The observed good electrochemical performance is accredited to the materials’ high specific surface area,multilevel hierarchical structure,and good conductivity.This study proposes a promising method that utilizes biological waste and broadens MnO-based electrode material application for next-generation energy storage and conversion devices.