Silicon carbide nanowires as highly robust electrodes for micro-supercapacitors

The effectiveness of silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires (NW) as electrode material for micro-supercapacitors has been investigated. SiC NWs are grown on a SiC thin film coated with a thin Ni catalyst layer via a chemical vapor deposition route at 950 degrees C. A specific capacitance in the range of similar to 240 mu F cm(-2) is demonstrated, which is comparable to the values recently reported for planar micro-supercapacitor electrodes. Charge-discharge studies demonstrate the SiC nanowires exhibit exceptional stability, with 95% capacitance retention after 2 x 10(5) charge/discharge cycles in an environmentally benign, aqueous electrolyte. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.