Sputtered binder-free Cu3N electrode materials for high-performance quasi-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors

Developing high-efficiency electrode materials is of great importance in manufacturing supercapacitor devices with superior electrochemical performance. Herein, we for the first time report a binder-free method for controllable growth of Cu3N electrode materials via magnetron sputtering for supercapacitor applications. Benefiting from their unique polyhedral structure and good electrical conductivity, Cu3N electrodes can achieve an areal capacity of 90.7 mC cm(-2) at 1 mA cm(-2) and outstanding cycling stability with a capacity retention of 97.4% after 20 000 cycles. In particular, the assembled Cu3N//active carbon quasi-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor can exhibit a maximum energy density of 13.2 mu W h cm(-2) and a power density of 4.8 mW cm(-2) with an operating voltage of 1.6 V. These remarkable performances demonstrate the great potential of sputtered Cu3N electrode materials for future energy storage applications.