TiO2 NPs assembled into a carbon nanofiber composite electrode by a one-step electrospinning process for supercapacitor applications

Abstract

In this study, we have synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) into carbon nanofiber (NFs) composites by a simple electrospinning method followed by subsequent thermal treatment. The resulting composite was characterized by state-of-the-art techniques and exploited as the electrode material for supercapacitor applications. The electrochemical behavior of the as-synthesized TiO2 NPs assembled into carbon nanofibers (TiO2-carbon NFs) was investigated and compared with pristine TiO2 NFs. The cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge analysis of the composite revealed an enhancement in the performance of the composite compared to the bare TiO2 NFs. The as-obtained TiO2-carbon NF composite exhibited a specific capacitance of 106.57 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g and capacitance retention of about 84% after 2000 cycles. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that the prepared nanocomposite could be used as electrode material in a supercapacitor. Furthermore, this work provides an easy scale-up strategy to prepare highly efficient TiO2-carbon composite nanofibers.