Ordered mesoporous carbon/SnO₂ composites as the electrode material for supercapacitors

Abstract

A series of composites as electrode materials for supercapacitors were prepared via incipient wetness impregnation method utilizing ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) and tin (IV) oxide (SnO₂) with different ratio. The structure and electrochemical properties of the OMC/SnO₂ composites were characterized by XRD, TEM and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Pore characteristics were measured by nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms. The results show that the structure and electrochemical properties of the composites depend mainly on the loading amount of SnO₂ in the ordered mesoporous carbon. The optimum amount of SnCl₄ added is found to be 40 % (1.54 g ethanol-based SnCl₄·5H₂O added to 1 g OMC) of the saturated solution. The specific capacitance of the composite of optimum amount of SnCl₄ (200 F g⁻¹) is nearly three times of that of the pristine SnO₂ (72 F g⁻¹) at the scan rate of 5 mV s⁻¹, and its specific capacitance is almost equal to that of the ordered mesoporous carbon (126 F g⁻¹) at the scan rate of 200 mV s⁻¹. Meanwhile, it has better specific volumetric energy density than OMC due to its higher density. Besides, in the potential range of 0–0.9 V the composite electrode material exhibits a stable cycle life after 500 cycles.

Keywords

supercapacitors / composite / tin oxide / electrochemical properties

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