Rational synthesis of CoFeP@nickel–manganese sulfide core–shell nanoarrays for hybrid supercapacitors

Transition metal phosphide electrodes, particularly those with unique morphologies and micro-/nanostructures, have demonstrated desirable capabilities for hybrid supercapacitor applications by virtue of their superior electrical conductivity and high electrochemical activity. Here, three-dimensional hierarchical CoFeP@nickel-manganese sulfide nanoarrays were in situ constructed on a flexible carbon cloth via a hydrothermal method, a phosphorization process, followed by an electrodeposition approach. In this smart nanoarchitecture, CoFeP nanorods grown on carbon cloth act as the conductive core for rapid electron transfer, while the nickel-manganese sulfide nanosheets decorated on the surface of CoFeP serve as the shell for efficient ion diffusion, forming a stable core-shell heterostructure with enhanced electrical conductivity. Benefiting from the synergy of the two components and the generation of a heterointerface with a modified electronic structure, The CoFeP@nickel-manganese sulfide electrodes deliver a high capacity of 260.7 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1, excellent rate capability, and good cycling stability. More importantly, an aqueous hybrid supercapacitor based on CoFeP@nickel-manganese sulfide as a positive electrode and a lotus pollen-derived hierarchical porous carbon as a negative electrode is constructed to display a maximum energy density of 60.1 W h kg-1 at 371.8 W kg-1 and a good cycling stability of 85.7% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles.