RuO2/Cysteine Nanocomposites for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Abstract

RuO₂/Cysteine (RuO₂/Cys) nanocomposites were synthesized using a facile high-temperature hydrothermal method, with improved specific capacitance and good electrochemical durability. The advantage of using cysteine is that its molecule is rich in ligands such as carboxyl, sulfhydryl, and amino groups, which can be easily bound to hydrated RuO₂, thus facilitating its effective dispersion. Analyses of its morphology, structure, and chemical composition showed that the incorporation of L-cysteine greatly inhibited the agglomeration of RuO₂ and improved its dispersion, and the scale of RuO₂ was reduced from the original micrometer scale to the nanometer scale. Such structures facilitated proton transfer and electron transfer, so RuO₂/Cys nanocomposites showed significantly improved specific capacitance, up to 1221.7 F g⁻¹, and the energy density was up to 108.6 Wh kg⁻¹ with a power density of 400.2 W kg⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ in a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. The combination of L-cysteine with RuO₂ also effectively prevented the deformation of RuO₂ in the redox process, and the capacitance retention rate was increased to 87.7% compared to 48.8% of pristine RuO₂ after 10,000 charging-discharging cycles. High capacitance performance and improved cyclic stability enable RuO₂/Cys nanocomposite to be a favorable electrode material for wide applications in energy storage.