Large-scale fabrication of BCN nanotube architecture entangled on a three-dimensional carbon skeleton for energy storage

Abstract

Boron and nitrogen co-doped graphene (BCN) nanotubes have tremendous properties for energy storage devices. Herein, we first report a BCN nanotubes architecture entangled on a three dimensional (3D) melamine foam derived carbon skeleton with high surface area, hierarchical porosity and heteroatoms (B, C, N) extant. Having such efficacious properties, 3D-BCN-950 (calcinated under 950 °C) exhibited excellent capacitance of 344 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹. Furthermore, 3D-BCN-950 nanotubes are utilized as electrodes in a symmetric and negative electrode in asymmetric hybrid supercapacitors. The symmetric supercapacitor presented a high energy density of 19.8 W h kg⁻¹ and elevated power density of 5074 W kg⁻¹, the asymmetric supercapacitor also demonstrated a high energy density of 72 W h kg⁻¹ and power density of 22 732 W kg⁻¹. These results indicate the as-synthesized heteroatoms doped graphene nanotubes architecture could be a potential negative electrode materials for the fabrication of future high energy density hybrid supercapacitors.