Coupling W18O49/Ti3C2Tx MXene Pseudocapacitive Electrodes with Redox Electrolytes to Construct High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors

A pseudocapacitive electrode with a large surface area is critical for the construction of a high-performance supercapacitor. A 3D and interconnected network composed of W18O49 nanoflowers and Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets is thus synthesized using an electrostatic attraction strategy. This composite effectively prevents the restacking of Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets and meanwhile sufficiently exposes electrochemically active sites of W18O49 nanoflowers. Namely, this self-assembled composite owns abundant oxygen vacancies from W18O49 nanoflowers and enough active sites from Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets. As a pseudocapacitive electrode, it shows a big specific capacitance, superior rate capability and good cycle stability. A quasi-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is then fabricated using this pseudocapacitive anode and the cathode of activated carbon coupled with a redox electrolyte of FeBr3. This ASC displays a cell voltage of 1.8 V, a capacitance of 101 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1), a maximum energy density of 45.4 Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 900 W kg(-1), and a maximum power density of 18 000 W kg(-1) at an energy density of 10.8 Wh kg(-1). The proposed strategies are promising to synthesize different pseudocapacitive electrodes as well as to fabricate high-performance supercapacitor devices.

Automated summary

In this study, a pseudocapacitive electrode with a large surface area was synthesized using an electrostatic attraction strategy, which consisted of W18O49 nanoflowers and Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets. This composite exhibited good electrochemical activity and prevention of restacking, resulting in a high specific capacitance, superior rate capability, and good cycle stability as a pseudocapacitive electrode. A quasi-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was fabricated using this electrode and an activated carbon cathode coupled with a redox electrolyte of FeBr3, displaying high voltage, energy density, and power density.