TiO2 NPs Assembled into a Carbon Nanofiber Composite Electrode by a One-Step Electrospinning Process for Supercapacitor Applications

Abstract

In this study, we have synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) into carbon nanofiber (NFs) composites by a simple electrospinning method followed by subsequent thermal treatment. The resulting composite was characterized by state-of-the-art techniques and exploited as the electrode material for supercapacitor applications. The electrochemical behavior of the as-synthesized TiO₂ NPs assembled into carbon nanofibers (TiO₂-carbon NFs) was investigated and compared with pristine TiO₂ NFs. The cyclic voltammetry and charge–discharge analysis of the composite revealed an enhancement in the performance of the composite compared to the bare TiO₂ NFs. The as-obtained TiO₂-carbon NF composite exhibited a specific capacitance of 106.57 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g and capacitance retention of about 84% after 2000 cycles. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that the prepared nanocomposite could be used as electrode material in a supercapacitor. Furthermore, this work provides an easy scale-up strategy to prepare highly efficient TiO₂-carbon composite nanofibers.