Laser-Assisted Rapid Fabrication of Cobalt Hydroxide@Carbon Fiber Composites for High-Performance, Robust Structural Supercapacitors

Abstract

Conventional supercapacitor electrodes often rely on time-consuming hydrothermal methods to create nanostructures. In this study, a laser-assisted process was utilized to fabricate cobalt hydroxide on a carbon fiber (CF) composite, achieving a mechanically stable structural capacitor (SSC) within 50 min. Intensive CO₂ laser irradiation facilitated the rapid deposition and growth of diverse nanoarchitectures on the CF substrate. The outstanding performance of the Co(OH)₂@CF electrode was demonstrated by its rate capability, with a cyclic stability of 96.3% maintained through 15,000 cycles and a Coulombic efficiency of 99.5%. A high specific capacitance of 1448.20 F g^–1 was also observed. The unique morphology of the Co(OH)₂@CF electrode enabled efficient charge storage with a high diffusion contribution, even at 50 mV s^–1. The robust SSC device remained stable under external forces and thus showed promise in addressing the sensitivity issues encountered with current supercapacitor devices.