Self-Assembled Cu₃P@NiCo₂O₄ Core-Shell Heterostructure Electrodes for High-Energy All-Solid-State Supercapacitor

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Core-shell electrodes offer enhanced performance over conventional single electrodes for supercapacitors (SCs).
• Combining distinct materials in a core-shell structure improves energy storage, power density, and overall SC performance.
• All-solid-state supercapacitors (ASS-SCs) are a key area for developing safer and more efficient energy storage solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a 1D core-shell Cu₃P@NiCo₂O₄ heterostructure on copper foam (CF) for use as a positive electrode in ASS-SCs.
• To investigate the electrochemical properties and stability of the synthesized core-shell material.
• To evaluate the performance of the ASS-SC device utilizing the novel electrode material.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of 1D core-shell Cu₃P@NiCo₂O₄ heterostructure on copper foam (CF).
• Electrochemical characterization including specific capacity, capacitance, and cycling stability tests.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand interfacial electronic reconstruction and performance enhancement.

Main Results:

• The Cu₃P@NiCo₂O₄ core-shell heterostructure exhibited a high specific capacity of 604.836 C g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ with 88.2% capacity retention over 20,000 cycles.
• The ASS-SC device demonstrated specific capacitances of 100.8 F g⁻¹ (1.07 F cm⁻³ volumetric capacitance) at 1 A g⁻¹.
• The ASS-SC achieved an energy density of 31.5 Wh kg⁻¹ at 774.8 W kg⁻¹ and maintained 97.6% capacity retention over 5000 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The interconnected core-shell heterostructure enhances electrochemical activity and stability through interfacial electronic reconstruction.
• The synthesized Cu₃P@NiCo₂O₄ electrodes show significant potential for high-performance energy storage applications.
• This study highlights the promise of core-shell nanostructures for advancing the development of next-generation ASS-SCs.