Amorphous vanadyl phosphate/graphene composites for high performance supercapacitor electrode

作者:Chen, Ningna; Zhou, Jinhua; Kang, Qi; Ji, Hongmei; Zhu, Guoyin; Zhang, Yu; Chen, Shanyong; Chen, Jing; Feng, Xiaomiao; Hou, Wenhua*
来源:Journal of Power Sources, 2017, 344: 185-194.
DOI:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.01.119

摘要

Amorphous vanadyl phosphate/graphene nanohybrids is successfully synthesized by first exfoliating bulk layered vanadyl phosphate (VOPO4 center dot 2H(2)O) into nanosheets, and then hydrothermal treatment with graphene oxide (GO). The electrochemical properties of the resulted materials are systematically investigated. It is found that a phase transformation from crystalline to amorphous is occurred to VOPO4 center dot 2H(2)O. As supercapacitor electrode material, the amorphous VOPO4/graphene composite exhibits a high specific capacitance (508 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g-1), an excellent rate capability (359 F g-1 at 10 A g(-1)), and a good cycling stability (retention 80% after 5000 cycles at 2 A g-1). Particularly, it simultaneously has a greatly enhanced energy density of 70.6 Wh center dot kg(-1) with a power density of 250 W kg(-1). The outstanding energy storage performance mainly originates from the generation of amorphous VOPO4 phase that facilitates ion transport by shortening ion diffusion paths and provides more reversible and fast faradic reaction sites, the hybridization with graphene that greatly improves the electric conductivity and structure stability, and the unique layer-on-sheet nanohybrid structure that effectively enhances the structure integrity. This work not only provides a facile method for the preparation of amorphous VOPO4/graphene composites, but also demonstrates the enhanced energy density and rate capability of amorphous VOPO4-based materials for potential application in supercapacitors.