Zr-MOF composites with zipped and unzipped carbon nanotubes for high-performance electrochemical supercapacitors

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained considerable interest as crystalline porous materials with notable characteristics, such as high surface area and excellent electrochemical performance, particularly in supercapacitor applications. The combination of MOFs with various nanocarbon materials further enhances their performance. This study investigated the combination of zirconium-based MOFs (Zr-MOFs) with graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs), zipped carbon nanotubes, and functionalized carbon nanotubes (FCNTs) to fabricate composites with elevated electrical conductivity, adjustable surface area, chemical robustness, mechanical strength, and customizable attributes for specific applications. Zr-MOFs exhibit remarkable capacitance, making them promising electrode materials for supercapacitors. GONRs and FCNTs have recently emerged as focal materials owing to their unique properties, which make them promising materials for electrochemical energy storage devices. A thorough investigation of the supercapacitive behavior of GONRs, FCNTs, Zr-MOFs, Zr-MOFs/FCNTs, and Zr-MOFs/GONRs in 1 M H₂SO₄ using different evaluation systems (three- and two-electrode systems) revealed a significant enhancement in the capacitance of Zr-MOFs after the introduction of GONRs and FCNTs. Employing Zr-MOF/GONR and Zr-MOF/FCNT composites as positive electrodes and GONRs as negative electrodes in two-electrode measurements demonstrated remarkable cycling stability by retaining their specific capacitances (C_s) even after 10 000 consecutive charge/discharge cycles at a high current density of 10 A g⁻¹. Moreover, they feature a broad potential window of 1.7 V in the three-electrode system. This extends to 2 V in the two-electrode system, achieving high C_s. This highlights the remarkable electrochemical performance of the Zr-MOF/GONR and Zr-MOF/FCNT composites, offering a compelling approach for energy storage applications.