Manganese oxide (MnO2) is a promising material for supercapacitor applications, with a theoretical ultra-high energy density of 308 Wh/kg. However, such ultra-high energy density has not been achieved experimentally in MnO2-based supercapacitors because of several practical issues, such as low electrical conductivity of MnO2, incomplete utilization of MnO2, and dissolution of MnO2. The present study investigates the potential of MnO2/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrid nanoscroll (GMS) structures as electrode material for overcoming the difficulties and for developing ultra-high-energy storage systems. A hybrid supercapacitor, comprising MnO2/rGO nanoscrolls as anode material and activated carbon (AC) as a cathode, is fabricated. The GMS/AC hybrid supercapacitor exhibited enhanced energy density, superior rate performance, and promising Li storage capability that bridged the energy-density gap between conventional Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. The fabricated GMS/AC hybrid supercapacitor demonstrates an ultra-high lithium discharge capacity of 2040 mAh/g. The GMS/AC cell delivered a maximum energy density of 105.3 Wh/kg and a corresponding power density of 308.1 W/kg. It also delivered an energy density of 42.77 Wh/kg at a power density as high as 30,800 W/kg. Our GMS/AC cell's energy density values are very high compared with those of other reported values of graphene-based hybrid structures. The GMS structures offer significant potential as an electrode material for energy-storage systems and can also enhance the performance of the other electrode materials for LIBs and hybrid supercapacitors.
Keywords: MnO2-based supercapacitors; hybrid supercapacitors; reduced graphene oxide; ultra-high energy density.