In situ anodic electrodeposition of two-dimensional conductive metal-organic framework@nickel foam for high-performance flexible supercapacitor

Owing to their large specific surface area and well-defined porosity, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have long been considered as promising materials for energy storage. Unfortunately, their straightforward utilization in supercapacitors was hindered for years due to poor conductivity until the emergence of 2D conductive MOF materials. To date, several 2D conductive MOF-based supercapacitors have been reported. Nevertheless, almost all these supercapacitors were fabricated from MOF powders through a slurry coating method or dense packing method, which negatively affected their capacitor performance. Herein, we have developed an anodic electrodeposition (AED) approach to fabricate a uniformly deposited 2D conducting MOF on nickel foam and use it directly as electrodes for supercapacitors without any additives. The superior performance of the 2D conducting MOF on nickel foam in both aqueous and organic electrolytes was then disclosed by a series of electrochemical measurements, demonstrating the significant advantages of the AED approach over traditional methods.