Cobalt oxide nanofibers elevate supercapattery capabilities

The combination of a high surface area of conductive carbon nanofibers (CNFs) consolidated with good redox property of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) resulted in a high-performance positive electrode for supercapattery. In this study, the composite was fabricated through electrospinning and carbonization of CNFs followed by electrodeposition of Co₃O₄. The morphology of the composite showed crosslinked CNFs decorated with randomly distributed Co₃O₄ nanoparticles after electrodeposition. The electrochemical evaluation of CNFs/Co₃O₄ demonstrated an outstanding specific capacity of 1516.97 C g⁻¹. The outstanding supercapattery performance of CNFs/Co₃O₄ can be attributed to the synergistic effect arising from the abundant Faradaic reactions of Co₃O₄ combined with the high surface area and excellent conductivity of the CNFs. The carbon nanofibers/cobalt oxide//N-doped graphene-based supercapattery device exhibited specific energy and power values of 10.63 Wh kg⁻¹ and 343.16 W kg⁻¹, respectively, while maintaining 76.3% capacity retention after 3000 cycles. These findings demonstrate the potential of CNFs/Co₃O₄ composites as promising electrode architectures for supercapatteries.