High-loading cobalt-doped manganese tetroxide on carbon cloth as an electrode material for high-performance zinc ion hybrid capacitors

Despite its quick development, zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs) are still in their infancy regarding the field of producing high-loading (8-10 mg cm-2) and high area energy density equivalent to that of zinc-ion batteries. This is because high-loading electrode materials have sluggish electron transport and ion migration kinetics. In the present work, cobalt-doped trimanganese tetroxide nanoparticles are fabricated and distributed uniformly over the flexible carbon cloth surface with a high loading of 14.2 mg cm-2 for large-scale production of ZIHCs. Owing to the enhancement of the [MnO6] octahedron conductivity and the diffusion coefficient of Zn2+ to embedding and de-embedding the Co-Mn3O4 cathode after Co doping, the as-prepared liquid ZIHC demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance and high capacity. The area capacitance of the ZIHC can reach 4102.56 mF cm-2 at a current density of 2 mA cm-2 with a maximum area energy density of 2166.70 mu Wh cm-2, which is comparable to the energy capacity of zinc-ion batteries. The quasi-solid flexible ZIHCs with the Co-Mn3O4 cathode and the activated carbon anode can realize an excellent energy density of 672.45 mu Wh cm-2 at a power density of 1.8 mW cm-2 with high mechanical flexibility, which has a potential to develop a new generation of flexible energy storage devices.

Automated summary

In this study, cobalt-doped trimanganese tetroxide nanoparticles were fabricated and distributed uniformly on a flexible carbon cloth surface to enable large-scale production of high-loading zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs). The liquid ZIHC demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance and high capacity, with an area capacitance of 4102.56 mF cm-2 and a maximum area energy density of 2166.70 mu Wh cm-2, comparable to zinc-ion batteries. The quasi-solid flexible ZIHCs with Co-Mn3O4 cathode and activated carbon anode achieved a high energy density of 672.45 mu Wh cm-2 and high mechanical flexibility, showing potential for developing a new generation of flexible energy storage devices.