Defect engineered unzipped multiwalled carbon nanotube/vanadium pentoxide composite for high-performance supercapacitor application

Abstract

In the pursuit of next-generation energy storage systems, the advancement of high-performance electrode materials with enhanced capacitance and durability remains critical. This study presents a binary composite of unzipped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (UzMWCNTs) integrated with vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅). The unzipping process introduces surface defects and oxygen functional groups, which enhance dispersion and provide numerous active sites. V₂O₅ nanoparticles uniformly anchor onto the UzMWCNT surface, offering pseudocapacitive behavior and boosting redox activity. The synergistic interaction between electric double-layer capacitance and faradaic charge storage delivers superior electrochemical performance. Structural and morphological characterization confirms successful composite formation, while electrochemical evaluations reveal a specific capacitance of 1135 F g⁻¹ and cycling stability with 88% retention over 2000 cycles. This work highlights the potential of UzMWCNT/V₂O₅ hybrids as promising candidates for high-efficiency, next-generation supercapacitor electrodes.