Issue 48, 2017

A general method for boosting the supercapacitor performance of graphitic carbon nitride/graphene hybrids

Abstract

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) contains a high C/N ratio of 3/4; however, utilizing nitrogen atoms in pseudocapacitive energy storage systems remains a challenge due to the limited number of edge nitrogen atoms and inherent poor electrical conductivity of this semi-conductor material. 3D oxidized g-C3N4 functionalized graphene composites (GOOCN24), in which reduced graphene oxide providing high electron conductivity acts as a skeleton and hybridises with oxidized g-C3N4 segments, were synthesized using a facile two-step solution-based method. Due to the pre-oxidation treatment of g-C3N4, which breaks the polymeric nature of g-C3N4 and increases in the proportion of edge nitrogen atoms and the subsequent solubility in water, the GOOCN24 composites used as electrodes for supercapacitors show a specific capacitance as high as 265.6 F g−1 in acid electrolyte and 243.8 F g−1 in alkaline electrolyte in three-electrode configuration at a current density of 1 A g−1. In addition, low internal resistance, excellent rate performance of over 74% capacitance retention (over a 50-fold increase in current density), and outstanding cycling stability of over 94% capacitance retention after 5000 cyclic voltammetry cycles in both alkaline and acid electrolytes was attained. This translated into excellent energy density with appropriate power density when demonstrated in a symmetrical device.

Graphical abstract: A general method for boosting the supercapacitor performance of graphitic carbon nitride/graphene hybrids

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 Oct 2017
Accepted
26 Nov 2017
First published
27 Nov 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 25545-25554

A general method for boosting the supercapacitor performance of graphitic carbon nitride/graphene hybrids

R. Lin, Z. Li, D. I. Abou El Amaiem, B. Zhang, D. J. L. Brett, G. He and I. P. Parkin, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 25545 DOI: 10.1039/C7TA09492B

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