Sandwich-Shell Structured CoMn2O4/C Hollow Nanospheres for Performance-Enhanced Sodium-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitor

Sodium hybrid supercapacitors (Na-HSCs) are regarded as one promising electrochemical energy storage device, because of the low price of sodium, prolonged life cycle, and high-energy/power density. Nonetheless, the imparity between the fast capacitive reactions at cathode and the sluggish Faradaic reactions at the anode leads to an imbalance in the electrochemical reaction kinetics, limiting the development of Na-HSCs. Therefore, it is urgent to develop suitable anode materials for performance-enhanced Na-HSCs. Herein, sandwich-shell-structured CoMn2O4/C hollow spheres are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction and subsequent calcination, where mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (CHSs) serve as nonsacrificial hard templates. CHSs with numerous mesoporous channels are beneficial for the penetration of reactant ions. Therefore, CoMn2O4 nanosheets are successfully deposited on the inner and outer surfaces of CHSs, generating sandwich-shell-structured CoMn2O4/C hollow spheres. Benefiting from the unique design, CoMn2O4/C HSs exhibit excellent sodium storage performance, including a high-specific capacity of 290 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) and prolonged cycling durability. A Na-HSC assembled by CoMn2O4/C HSs anode and activated carbon cathode exhibits a high-energy density (265 Wh kg(-1)) and a wide-operating voltage range (0.01-4.0 V).

Automated summary

The development of sodium hybrid supercapacitors is hindered by the imbalance in reaction rates between the anode and cathode, emphasizing the importance of suitable anode materials for enhanced performance. The sandwich-shell-structured CoMn2O4/C hollow spheres show excellent sodium storage performance with high specific capacity and prolonged cycling durability. A Na-HSC assembled with CoMn2O4/C HSs anode and activated carbon cathode demonstrates high energy density and wide-operating voltage range.