Cracked bark-inspired ternary metallic sulfide (NiCoMnS4) nanostructure on carbon cloth for high-performance aqueous asymmetric supercapacitors

In this paper, we report a high-performance self-supported supercapacitor electrode composed of a cracked bark-shaped Ni-Co-Mn ternary metallic sulfide (NiCoMnS4) nanostructure on carbon cloth prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal process and subsequent electrochemical treatment. The electrode delivers a high specific discharge capacity of up to 2470.4 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) and high rate performances of 1635.6 F g(-1) at 10 A g(-1) and 910.2 F g(-1) even at 32 A g(-1). Cycling tests indicate that NiCoMnS4 could maintain >91.1% of its initial capacity and nearly 100% Coulombic efficiency over 10,000 cycles at 8 A g(-1). An aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with NiCoMnS4 as the cathode, activated carbon as the anode, and 1 mol L-1 KOH as the electrolyte delivers an energy density of 68.2 W h kg(-1) at 850.1 W kg(-1) and capacity retention of 92.5% after 10,000 cycles at 4 A g(-1). Given the excellent performance and simple material preparation of our proposed device, this study provides a valuable foundation for the development of self-supported metallic sulfide based electrodes with high electrochemical properties for potential application in aqueous asymmetric super-capacitors.

Automated summary

This study presents a high-performance self-supported supercapacitor electrode with a cracked bark-shaped Ni-Co-Mn ternary metallic sulfide nanostructure on carbon cloth. Excellent electrochemical properties and simple preparation process make this electrode a valuable foundation for potential applications in aqueous asymmetric supercapacitors. Cycling tests and asymmetric supercapacitor assembly demonstrate the electrode's high specific discharge capacity and capacity retention, indicating its potential for practical use in energy storage devices.