Hybrid nanostructured PAN@NiCu(CO3)(OH)2 composite for flexible high-performance supercapacitors

A binder-free porous NiCu(CO3)(OH)(2) composite was grown on a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber substrate using a hydrothermal method. PAN nanofibers were fabricated by the electrospinning method, thus producing a substrate with a nano-sized diameter and high specific surface area. The composite NiCu(CO3)(OH)(2) nanowires on PAN nanofibers provided the large specific surface area required for the redox reaction.Transition metal-based nanowires and nano-sized PAN substrates indicate a synergistic effect in electrochemical performance. The NiCu(CO3)(OH)(2) on PAN composite showed a remarkable maximum specific capacity of 870 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 3 Ag-1, which indicates that it can be a suitable electrode material. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor with NiCu(CO3)(OH)(2) on PAN composite as the cathode and graphene as the anode showed an ultra-high energy density of 89.2 W h kg(-1) at a power density of 835 W kg(-1) and a capacitance retention of 90.1% after 5000 cycles.