Hybrid supercapacitors based on metal organic frameworks using p-phenylenediamine building block

Hybrid supercapacitors using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit high power and remarkable rate capability with consistent cyclability. The key limitations in developing MOF supercapacitors are the limited number of ligands and extensive laboratory protocols for synthesis. To solve these problems, we introduce the liquid-liquid interfacial reaction method for synthesising layered MOF using p-phenylenediamine (pPDA) building block as an organic ligand. The method is straightforward, consumes less energy and can be deployed in a small space at room temperature. We synthesise two types of layered MOFs, Ni-pPDA and Mn-pPDA, and fabricate hybrid supercapacitors by combining the positive MOF electrodes with a negative graphite carbon (GC) electrode. The supercapacitors using Ni-pPDA//GC and Mn-pPDA//GC exhibit high performances of approximately 184.7 F/g and 109.3 F/g, respectively. In particular, the Ni-pPDA supercapacitor exhibits high energy and power densities. The supercapacitors using Ni-pPDA and Mn-pPDA MOFs exhibit the capacitive retention of about 80% and 97%, respectively, after 5000 cycles.