A Novel Radiation Method for Preparing MnO₂/BC Monolith Hybrids with Outstanding Supercapacitance Performance.

A novel facile process for fabrication of amorphous Mn02/bamboo charcoal monolith hybrids (MnO2 /BC) for potential supercapacitor applications using-gamma-irradiation methods is described. The structural, morphological and electrochemical properties of the MnO2 /BC hybrids have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The combination of BC (electrical double layer charge) and MnO2 (pseudocapacitance) created a complementary effect, which enhanced the specific capacitance and good cyclic stability of the MnO2/BC hybrid electrodes. The MnO2/BC hybrids showed a higher specific capacitance (449 F g(-1) at the constant current density of 0.5 A g(-1) over the potential range from 0.2 V to 0.8 V), compared with BC (101 F g(-1)) in 1 M of Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. Furthermore, the MnO2/BC hybrid electrodes showed superior cycling stability with 78% capacitance retention, even after 10,000 cycles. The experimental results demonstrated that the high performance of MnO2/BC hybrids could be a potential electrode material for supercapacitors.