Metal ion capacitor composed of the thin-walled surfaces enabling high-rate performance and long cycling stability

Abstract

Electrochemical capacitors (referred to as supercapacitors) have high power density, long cycling stability, and are eco-friendly for use in electronic applications. The proper and stable utilization of supercapacitor systems can expand the practical scope of energy-powering applications in various device platforms. Nevertheless, the low energy density of conventional oxide and sulfide electrode materials still limits the practical realization of supercapacitor devices in real electronic applications. This limitation results from the poor surface stability, structural collapse, and low electrical conductivity of the oxide and sulfide materials. Single metal electrodes with multivalent metal ions exhibit promising energy-storing kinetics and may be viable alternatives to these oxide and sulfide electrode materials. Here, we report a metal zinc (Zn) electrode supercapacitor (ZIC) consisting of a thin-walled architecture as an electrode by means of a voltage-controlled electroplating method. The optimized ZIC exhibited excellent pseudo-capacitive performance, excellent high-rate performance, and an outstanding cycling stability.