Electrochemical evaluation of ZnO and PAN-based carbon nanofibers composite for high-performance supercapacitor application

The material used for electrodes greatly affects the electrochemical performance of a supercapacitor. This study utilized electrospinning to create ZnO/Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite-based nanofibers, which were then heat-treated to form carbon nanofibers (CNFs). The ZnO/PAN-NFs and the resulting ZnO and PAN CNFs were thoroughly characterized for their crystallographic and morphological properties. Electrodes made from ZnO and PAN-based CNFs demonstrated a peak capacitance of 163.44 F g⁻¹ at a scan rate of 10 mV s⁻¹, which is a 64% increase over electrodes made from PAN CNFs, in addition to enhanced cyclic stability and rate capability. An asymmetric supercapacitor constructed with ZnO/PAN-CNFs//AC showed an energy density of 6.1 Wh kg⁻¹ and a power density of 1000 W kg⁻¹. The device also exhibited outstanding longevity and electrochemical reversibility, maintaining 84% of its specific capacitance after 5000 cycles. This research seeks to investigate the unique structural and electrochemical properties of the electrospun ZnO/PAN nanocomposite material, contributing to the advancement of high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.