Surface modification by graphene oxide: An efficient strategy to improve the performance of activated carbon based supercapacitors

We demonstrate an efficient and cost-effective strategy to improve electrochemical properties of AC based electrode materials. A series of graphene oxide (GO)-modified activated carbon (AC) composites (GO@ACs) have been prepared as electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs). In GO@ACs, AC particles anchored on the surface of GO sheets which were synchronously reduced during charge/discharge process, and formed a 3D-conductive network. Electrochemical analyses revealed that 2.5wt% GO@AC, which exhibited improved electrical conductivity and high specific capacitance at large current density in organic electrolyte, is a promising electrode material for high-performance SCs. At 6A/g, the specific capacitance of 2.5wt% GO@AC increased by 249.5% in comparison with that of AC.