Construction of Ti3C2Tx MXene wrapped urchin-like CuCo2S4 microspheres for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Copper cobalt sulfide (CuCo2S4) nanomaterials are regarded as promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors due to their abundant redox states and considerable theoretical capacities. However, the intrinsic poor electrical conductivity, sluggish reaction kinetics and insufficient number of electroactive sites of these materials are huge barriers to realize their practical applications. In this study, a facile two-step strategy to engineer a hierarchical 3D porous CuCo2S4/MXene composite electrode is presented for enhanced storage properties. This well-constructed CuCo2S4/MXene composite not only provides abundant active sites for the faradaic reaction, but also offers more efficient pathways for rapid electron/ion transport and restricts the volumetric expansion during the charge/discharge process. When evaluated in a 3 M KOH electrolyte, the CuCo2S4/MXene-3 electrode exhibits a specific capacity of 1351.6 C g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) while retaining excellent cycling stability (95.2% capacity retention at 6 A g(-1) after 10 000 cycles). Additionally, the solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) CuCo2S4/MXene//AC device displays an energy density of 78.1 W h kg(-1) and a power density of 800.7 W kg(-1). Two ASC devices connected in series can illuminate a blue LED indicator for more than 20 min, demonstrating promising prospects for practical applications. These electrochemical properties indicate that the high-performance CuCo2S4/MXene composites are promising electrode materials for advanced asymmetric supercapacitors.

Automated summary

This study presents a facile two-step strategy to engineer a hierarchical 3D porous CuCo2S4/MXene composite electrode, which exhibits enhanced storage properties. The CuCo2S4/MXene composite provides abundant active sites for the faradaic reaction, efficient pathways for rapid electron/ion transport, and restricts volumetric expansion during charge/discharge. The results show excellent cycling stability and high energy density, indicating that CuCo2S4/MXene composites are promising electrode materials for advanced supercapacitors.