Synergistic CuCoS–PANI materials for binder-free electrodes in asymmetric supercapacitors and oxygen evolution

Abstract

In advanced electronics, supercapacitors (SCs) have received a lot of attention. Nevertheless, it has been shown that different electrode designs that are based on metal sulfides are prone to oxidation, instability, and poor conductance, which severely limits their practical application. We present a very stable, free-standing copper–cobalt sulfide doped with polyaniline as an electrode coated on nickel foam (CuCoS/PANI). The lightweight nickel foam encourages current collection as well as serving as a flexible support. The CuCoS–PANI electrode had a substantially greater 1659 C g⁻¹ capacity at 1.0 A g⁻¹. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) can provide an impressive 54 W h kg⁻¹ energy density while maintaining 1150 W kg⁻¹ power. Additionally, when employed as an electrocatalyst in the oxygen evolution reaction, CuCoS/PANI exhibited a 200 mV overpotential and 55 mV dec⁻¹ Tafel slope, demonstrating its effectiveness in facilitating the reaction.