Asymmetric supercapacitor based on nanostructured graphene foam/polyvinyl alcohol/formaldehyde and activated carbon electrodes

Abstract

We present the electrochemical results of highly porous and interconnected carbon material by activation of graphene foam/polyvinyl alcohol-formaldehyde composite material designated as GF/PVA-F. Asymmetric supercapacitor devices were fabricated using the activated material (GF/PVA-F) and activated carbon (AC) as the positive and negative electrodes respectively. The device exhibited a maximum energy density of 42 mWh cm 2, a power density of 0.5 W cm 2 and 98% retention of its initial capacitance after 2000 cycles in an extended cell potential window of 1.8 V in 1 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. This work shows the great potential of this material for high performance energy storage application.