Concise N-doped Carbon Nanosheets/Vanadium Nitride Nanoparticles Materials via Intercalative Polymerization for...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing advanced electrode materials is crucial for high-performance energy storage.
• Nanostructured materials offer enhanced electrochemical properties due to high surface area and short ion diffusion paths.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize N-doped carbon nanosheets/vanadium nitride nanoparticles (N-CNS/VNNPs) using a novel method.
• To investigate the effect of pH on the structure and electrochemical performance of N-CNS/VNNPs.
• To evaluate the potential of N-CNS/VNNPs in asymmetric energy storage devices.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of N-CNS/VNNPs via surface-initiated in-situ intercalative polymerization and thermal treatment in NH3/N2.
• Structural and morphological characterization using SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS.
• Electrochemical performance evaluation using a potentiostat in a three-electrode and asymmetric device configuration.

Main Results:

• N-CNS/VNNPs materials comprise 2D N-doped carbon nanosheets and 0D VN nanoparticles.
• Decreasing pH from 2 to 0 resulted in smaller nanoscale dimensions for both components.
• A maximum specific capacitance of 280 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ was achieved for N-CNS/VNNPs.
• The asymmetric Ni(OH)2||N-CNS/VNNPs device exhibited a specific capacitance of 89.6 F g⁻¹ and 89.6 F g⁻¹ retention after 5000 cycles.
• The asymmetric device achieved a maximum energy density of 29.5 Wh kg⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• The pH value is a critical factor in controlling the nanostructure and electrochemical properties of N-CNS/VNNPs.
• The synthesized N-CNS/VNNPs demonstrate excellent potential as electrode materials for supercapacitors.
• The asymmetric energy device based on N-CNS/VNNPs shows promising performance for practical energy storage applications.