In situ synthesis of nanostructured Fe(3)O(4)@TiO(2) composite grown on activated carbon cloth as a binder-free electrode for high performance supercapacitors

Transition metal oxide (TMO) nanomaterials with regular morphology have received widening research attention as electrode materials due to their improved electrochemical characteristics. In this study we present the successful fabrication of an Fe(3)O(4)/TiO(2) nanocomposite grown on a carbon cloth (Fe(3)O(4)/TiO(2)@C) used as a high-efficiency electrochemical supercapacitor electrode. Flexible electrodes are directly used for asymmetric supercapacitors without any binder. The increased specific surface area of the TiO(2) nanorod arrays provides sufficient adsorption sites for Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles. An asymmetric supercapacitor composed of Fe(3)O(4)/TiO(2)@C is tested in 1 M Na(2)SO(3) electrolyte, and the synergistic effects of fast reversible Faraday reaction on the Fe(3)O(4)/TiO(2) surface and the highly conductive network formed by TiO(2)@C help the electrode to achieve a high areal capacitance of 304.1 mF cm(−2) at a current density of 1 mA cm(−2) and excellent cycling stability with 90.7% capacitance retention at 5 mA cm(−2) after 10 000 cycles. As a result, novel synthesis of a binder-free Fe(3)O(4)/TiO(2)@C electrode provides a feasible approach for developing competitive candidates in supercapacitor applications.