A Novel Radiation Method for Preparing MnO(2)/BC Monolith Hybrids with Outstanding Supercapacitance Performance

A novel facile process for fabrication of amorphous MnO(2)/bamboo charcoal monolith hybrids (MnO(2)/BC) for potential supercapacitor applications using γ-irradiation methods is described. The structural, morphological and electrochemical properties of the MnO(2)/BC hybrids have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The combination of BC (electrical double layer charge) and MnO(2) (pseudocapacitance) created a complementary effect, which enhanced the specific capacitance and good cyclic stability of the MnO(2)/BC hybrid electrodes. The MnO(2)/BC hybrids showed a higher specific capacitance (449 F g(−1) at the constant current density of 0.5 A g(−1) over the potential range from –0.2 V to 0.8 V), compared with BC (101 F g(−1)) in 1 M of Na(2)SO(4) aqueous electrolyte. Furthermore, the MnO(2)/BC hybrid electrodes showed superior cycling stability with 78% capacitance retention, even after 10,000 cycles. The experimental results demonstrated that the high performance of MnO(2)/BC hybrids could be a potential electrode material for supercapacitors.