Flexible metallized carbon nanofibers decorated with two-dimensional NiGa₂S₄ nanosheets as supercapacitor electrodes

Herein, high-power flexible supercapacitor electrodes were fabricated by decorating Ni-electroplated carbon nanofibers (Ni@CNF) with two-dimensional NiGa₂S₄ nanosheets. The electrical conductivity of carbon nanofibers was enhanced by the addition of nickel, and the energy storage capability was enhanced by decoration with NiGa₂S₄. The impact of metal (Ni/Ga) ratio on the overall electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor was studied by varying the Ga concentration. The NiGa₂S₄ nanosheets promoted diffusion of the electrolyte into the electrode, thereby improving the electrochemical activity. The nanosheets also intensified the charge transfer rate within the composite electrode, which contributed to the overall improvement in the electrochemical performance. The optimal Ga concentration was the concentration at which the specific capacitance was the highest at 488 F·g⁻¹ with a potential window of 1.1 V and current rate of 0.5 A·g⁻¹. The long-term stability test revealed that the capacitance retention of the electrode with this optimal Ni/Ga ratio was 109% after 20,000 cycles. This flexible supercapacitor electrode was subjected to 2000 bending cycles, and the corresponding cyclic voltammetry performance was assessed. In combination, the outstanding electrochemical performance and durable mechanical properties render the NiGa₂S₄/Ni@CNF electrode highly suitable for flexible energy storage applications.