Tailoring the electrochemical performance of MoO3 nanocomposites with MWCNTs and rGO for high-performance supercapacitors

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) have garnered significant attention as supercapacitor electrode materials, primarily because of their excellent electrical conductivity, enhanced electrochemical properties, and feasibility. However, the application of TMOs is limited by their ongoing Faradaic reactions, which can cause significant structural alterations or even destruction, as well as phase changes (in some cases) during cycling, ultimately degrading their capacitive performance. Thus, coupling with carbonaceous materials is highly recommended to improve the structural stability of TMOs in electrochemical energy storage applications. This study demonstrates anchoring MoO3 over reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotubes to mitigate the structural losses that occur during the electrochemical process. The structural, morphological, and chemical characteristics of the synthesized materials were examined via XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, FE-SEM, EDS, and elemental mapping. BET analysis revealed that MWCNT@MoO3 and rGO@MoO3 had significantly larger surface areas and mesoporous characteristics, with specific surface areas of 43.97 m²/g and 81.14 m²/g, respectively, compared to those of pure MoO3 (17.89 m²/g). Furthermore, the electrochemical performance of the composites was investigated. The rGO@MoO3 nanocomposite electrode is superior to pure MoO3, and the MWCNT@MoO3 electrode has the most significant specific capacitance (490 F/g). After 5000 cycles, the electrode maintained 90.9% of its opening capacitance, indicating remarkable cycling stability. Furthermore, the coin-cell symmetric model of rGO@MoO3 yields an energy density of 36.04 Wh kg− 1 and a power density of 677.2 Wkg-1 at a current density of 1 Ag− 1. The rGO@MoO3 nanocomposite enhances its electrochemical performance due to its high surface area, mesoporous structure, and synergistic interaction between rGO and MoO3.