8 – Metal Oxide–Carbon Hybrid Materials for Application in Supercapacitors

TLDR: In this article, an overview of the fabrication, characterization, and electrochemical studies of various types of metal oxide composites with carbon materials, including mesoporous carbon, macroporous carbon and carbon aerogel.

Abstract: Carbon materials with high surface area, high electrical conductivity, and various shapes, sizes, and pore size distributions are being constantly developed and used as electrode active materials for supercapacitors based on double-layer capacitance. Transition metal oxides, such as RuO x , FeO x , and MnO x , are also promising candidates for application as supercapacitors because they possess pseudocapacitance in addition to double-layer capacitance. However, low electrical conductivity, severe agglomeration, and poor cycle life restrict their performance. One of the promising approaches to address these issues is to combine metal oxides with a carbon host to form hybrid nanostructured electrodes, in which the carbon material not only contributes to double-layer capacitance but also serves as the conductive network for metal oxides. This chapter provides an overview of the fabrication, characterization, and electrochemical studies of various types of metal oxide composites with carbon materials, including mesoporous carbon, macroporous carbon, carbon aerogel, activated carbon, carbon nanotube, carbon nanofiber, and graphene. The key performance advantages and limitations of metal oxide composited with various nanostructured carbon materials will be discussed.