Fabrication of graphene sheets intercalated with manganese oxide/carbon nanofibers: Toward high-capacity energy storage

Herein, 3D nanohybrid architectures consisting of MnO_x nanocrystals, carbon nanofibers (CNFs), and graphene sheets are fabricated. MnO_x-decorated CNFs (MCNFs) with diameters of about 50 nm are readily obtained via single-nozzle co-electrospinning, followed by heat treatment. The MCNFs are then intercalated between graphene sheets, yielding the ternary nanohybrid MCNF/reduced graphene oxide (RGO). This straightforward synthesis process readily affords product on a scale of tens of grams. The ultrathin CNFs, which might be a promising alternative to carbon nanotubes (CNTs), overcome the low electrical conductivity of the excellent pseudocapacitive component, MnO_x. Furthermore, the graphene sheets separated by the MCNFs boost the electrochemical performance of the nanohybrid electrodes. These nanohybrid electrodes exhibit enhanced specific capacitances compared with a sheet electrode fabricated of MCNF-only or RGO-only. Evidently, the RGO sheet acts as a conductive channel inside the nanohybrid, while the intercalated MCNFs increase the efficiency of the ion and charge transfer in the nanohybrid. The proposed nanohybrid architectures are expected to lay the foundation for the design and fabrication of high-performance electrodes.