A Se-induced heterostructure electrode with polymetallic-CoNiFe towards high performance supercapacitors

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• High-performance supercapacitors (SCs) require electrode materials with excellent conductivity and cycling stability.
• Transition metal compounds are promising for SCs, but optimizing their structure and properties remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hierarchical porous kebab-like heterostructure (CoNiFe-Se) for high-performance supercapacitors.
• To investigate the effect of selenium incorporation on the electrochemical properties of transition metal compounds.

Main Methods:

• Facile solvothermal reaction and selenization steps were employed to synthesize the CoNiFe-Se heterostructure.
• Experimental characterization and computational modeling were used to analyze the material's morphology, electronic structure, and electrochemical performance.

Main Results:

• The CoNiFe-Se heterostructure exhibited abundant active sites and an improved electronic structure due to selenium incorporation.
• The unique structure facilitated charge storage, accelerated electron transfer, and enhanced cycling stability.
• The material achieved a high capacitance of 5040 mF cm⁻² at 1 mA cm⁻² with 85.7% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The CoNiFe-Se heterostructure demonstrates superior electrochemical performance for supercapacitor applications.
• Selenization is an effective strategy for developing advanced transition metal-based electrode materials for energy storage.
• This work opens new avenues for designing high-performance supercapacitors.