Facile electrodeposition of Mn3O4 nanoparticles on wood-derived porous carbon for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor

In this study, we report a facile method of anchoring Mn3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of wood-derived porous carbon via electrodeposition to enhance the specific capacitance and cycling performance of electrodes for supercapacitors. Owing to the synergistic effect of the natural tubular porous structures of wood-derived porous carbon and the high theoretical specific capacitance of Mn3O4, wood-derived porous carbon-Mn3O4 composites (WPC-Mn3O4) deliver a high specific capacitance (315 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1) and an outstanding cycling stability (91% of maximum capacitance after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g−1) in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte. Furthermore, the WPC-Mn3O4 and activated carbon (AC) assembled asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) WPC-Mn3O4//AC delivers a high energy density of 34.85 Wh kg−1 at 700.0 W kg−1, demonstrating a high applicability in practical energy storage devices. The resultant WPC-Mn3O4 composites with excellent electrochemical properties are expected to be used as a potential cathode material for the development of high-performance supercapacitors.