Laser-Assisted Rapid Fabrication of Cobalt Hydroxide@Carbon Fiber Composites for High-Performance, Robust Structural Supercapacitors

Conventional supercapacitor electrodes often rely on time-consuming hydrothermal methods to create nanostructures. In this study, a laser-assisted process was utilized to fabricate cobalt hydroxide on a carbon fiber (CF) composite, achieving a mechanically stable structural capacitor (SSC) within 50 min. Intensive CO2 laser irradiation facilitated the rapid deposition and growth of diverse nanoarchitectures on the CF substrate. The outstanding performance of the Co(OH)2@CF electrode was demonstrated by its rate capability, with a cyclic stability of 96.3% maintained through 15,000 cycles and a Coulombic efficiency of 99.5%. A high specific capacitance of 1448.20 F g–1 was also observed. The unique morphology of the Co(OH)2@CF electrode enabled efficient charge storage with a high diffusion contribution, even at 50 mV s–1. The robust SSC device remained stable under external forces and thus showed promise in addressing the sensitivity issues encountered with current supercapacitor devices.