MnO-deposited lignin-based carbon nanofiber mats for application as electrodes in symmetric pseudocapacitors.

Low-cost, high-performance electrodes are highly attractive for practical supercapacitor applications. MnO-deposited carbon nanofiber mats (MnO-CNFMs) are prepared for use as binder-free supercapacitor electrodes. MnO is deposited on the mats in situ by hydrothermally decomposing aqueous KMnO, leading to the formation of nanocrystals of MnO. The MnO-CNFM electrode produced with 38.0μmol KMnO (this electrode) shows a high specific capacitance of ~171.6F·g at a scan rate of 5mV·s. Moreover, a symmetric supercapacitor with the electrode exhibits a specific capacitance of 67.0F·g, an energy density of 6.0Wh·kg and a power density of 160W·kg at a special current of 0.1A·g. Further, the symmetric supercapacitor displays excellent cycling stability, retains approximately 99% of the capacitance after 1000cycles. The simplicity and ease of preparation of the MnO-CNFMs as well as their suitability for use in coin-type supercapacitor cells make them ideal for application in cost-effective and high-performance electrodes for supercapacitors.