International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials | 2021
MnO2/carbon nanocomposite based on silkworm excrement for high-performance supercapacitors
Abstract
MnO 2 /biomass carbon nanocomposite was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction. Silkworm excrement acted as a carbon precursor, which was activated by ZnCl 2 and FeCl 3 combining chemical agents under Ar atmosphere. Thin and flower-like MnO 2 nanowires were in-situ anchored on the surface of the biomass carbon. The biomass carbon not only offered high conductivity and good structural stability but also relieved the large volume expansion during the charge/discharge process. The obtained MnO 2 /biomass carbon nanocomposite electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance (238 F·g −1 at 0.5 A·g −1 ) and a superior cycling stability with only 7% degradation after 2000 cycles. The observed good electrochemical performance is accredited to the materials’ high specific surface area, multilevel hierarchical structure, and good conductivity. This study proposes a promising method that utilizes biological waste and broadens MnO 2 -based electrode material application for next-generation energy storage and conversion devices.