V2O3 nanofoam@activated carbon composites as electrode materials of supercapacitors

Electrode materials with high performance and low cost are demanding in supercapacitor applications. Novel V 2 O 3 nanofoam@activated carbon composites have been prepared simply and cost-efficiently. Due to the mesoporous structure and high specific surface of V 2 O 3 nanofoam and the good electric conductivity of activated carbon, the obtained composites exhibit an obviously improved specific capacitance as high as 185[Formula: see text]F/g, which overpasses bulk V 2 O 3 (119[Formula: see text]F/g) and activated carbon (113[Formula: see text]F/g). The rate capability of V 2 O 3 nanofoam@activated carbon composites has also been improved, owing to the increased electron transport accelerated by the activated carbon and the fast electrolyte ion intercalation/deintercalation facilitated by mesopores of V 2 O 3 nanofoam. The composites retain 56% of initial specific capacitance when the current density increases from 0.05[Formula: see text]A/g to 1.0[Formula: see text]A/g. Therefore, the obtained V 2 O 3 nanofoam@activated carbon composites are low-cost electrode materials with obviously improved electrochemical performance, which are idea for supercapacitor application.