Rational Engineering of Cu-BTC/Al 2 S 3 @PPy with Improved Charge Transport and Interfacial Properties for Energy Storage and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

In today's energy landscape, efficient energy storage devices are essential, with supercapacitors standing out as one of the most promising modern solutions. In the present work, Cu-BTC/Al 2 S 3 @PPy was synthesized via a hydrothermal method, and its electrochemical performance was thoroughly evaluated. Successful fabrication of this nanohybrid electrode was verified using categorization methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD) examination revealed the crystalline structure, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed its well-defined morphology. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) verified the occurrence of all functional groups within the synthesized hybrid material, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis confirmed that the material possesses a high specific surface area (SSA). The electrochemical performance of Cu-BTC/Al 2 S 3 @PPy was systematically evaluated in a 3.0 M KOH alkaline electrolyte using two-and three-electrode configurations. Results demonstrate that the fabricated Cu-BTC/Al 2 S 3 @PPy//AC electrode shows energy storage capability. Galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) analysis reveals that this hybrid electrode attains a specific capacity (Qs) of C/g, along with impressive energy density (E d ) and power density (P d ) of 81.8 Wh/kg and 1600 W/kg, correspondingly, substantially surpassing the performance of pristine Cu-BTC and Al 2 S 3 . Results confirm that the Cu-BTC/Al 2 S 3 @PPy electrode is a highly capable hybrid material for supercapacitors and holds significant potential for various energy storage applications, with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).