Exploring the potential of CuCoFeTe@CuCoTe yolk-shelled microrods in supercapacitor applications

Abstract

Driven by their excellent conductivity and redox properties, metal tellurides (MTes) are increasingly capturing the spotlight across various fields. These properties position MTes as favorable materials for next-generation electrochemical devices. Herein, we introduce a novel, self-sustained approach to creating a yolk-shelled electrode material. Our process begins with a metal–organic framework, specifically a CoFe-layered double hydroxide-zeolitic imidazolate framework67 (ZIF67) yolk-shelled structure (CFLDH–ZIF67). This structure is synthesized in a single step and transformed into CuCoLDH nanocages. The resulting CuCoFeLDH–CuCoLDH yolk-shelled microrods (CCFLDH–CCLDHYSMRs) are formed through an ion-exchange reaction. These are then converted into CuCoFeTe–CuCoTe yolk-shelled microrods (CCFT–CCTYSMRs) by a tellurization reaction. Benefiting from their structural and compositional advantages, the CCFT–CCTYSMR electrode demonstrates superior performance. It exhibits a fabulous capacity of 1512 C g⁻¹ and maintains an impressive 84.45% capacity retention at 45 A g⁻¹. Additionally, it shows a remarkable capacity retention of 91.86% after 10 000 cycles. A significant achievement of this research is the development of an activated carbon (AC)||CCFT–CCTYSMR hybrid supercapacitor. This supercapacitor achieves a good energy density (E_den) of 63.46 W h kg⁻¹ at a power density (P_den) of 803.80 W kg⁻¹ and retains 88.95% of its capacity after 10 000 cycles. These results highlight the potential of telluride-based materials in advanced energy storage applications, marking a step forward in the development of high-energy, long-life hybrid supercapacitors.