Silver nanoparticles entrapped cobalt oxide nanohairs/electrospun carbon nanofibers nanocomposite in apt architecture for high performance supercapacitors

Abstract The development of composite materials in designed architectures in nanoscale level has been an intriguing research approach for diverse applications. Here, we report synthesis of a ternary nanocomposite of mesoporous cobalt oxide nanohairs, silver nanoparticles and electrospun carbon nanofibers sheet (3D Co3O4–Ag@CNFs) in a novel and apt 3D architecture by cost-effective electrospinning, hydrothermal cum post modification approaches for high performance supercapacitors (SCs). Conditions for controlled growth of constituents and their electrochemical significance have been discussed. The optimized nanocomposite, as a free standing electrode, exhibits a high specific capacitance of 1880 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 which is, possibly, the highest value reported for CNFs based Co3O4 composites. The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor device exhibits a high energy density of 53.8 W h kg−1 at a high power density of 797.9 W kg−1 with notable cyclic life. The results recommend the prepared nanocomposite sheet as an efficient electrode for high performance SCs.