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World Applied Sciences Journal 9 (Special Issue of Carbon Nanotubes ): 01-07, 2010 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2010

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Filled with Transition Metal Oxides as Supercapacitor Materials
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Meisam Valizadeh Kiamahalleh, 2Ghasem Najafpour, 1Suhairi Abd Sata, 3 Surani Buniran and 1Sharif Hussein Sharif Zein
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Meisam Valizadeh Kiamahalleh, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia 2 Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Babol, Noshirvani University Technology, Babol, Iran 3 Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMREC) SIRIM Berhad, Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kulim, Malaysia
Abstract: Manganese oxide (MnO2), nickel oxide (NiO), copper oxide (CuO) and iron oxide (Fe2O3)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposites for supercapacitor electrodes were synthesized by wet chemical method using acid treated MWCNTs and respective salts. Structural and morphological characterizations of metal oxides encapsulated in MWCNTs were carried out using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX). The electrochemical performances of MnO2/MWCNTs, NiO/MWCNTs, Fe2O3/MWCNTs and CuO/MWCNTs on aqueous electrolytic supercapacitor were investigated using cyclic voltammetery (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge. The MnO2/MWCNTs and NiO/MWCNTs nanocomposite electrodes showed more significant capacitive behavior than other electrode materials of Fe2O3/MWCNTs, CuO/MWCNTs and pure MWCNTs. The average specific capacitance (SC) of the pure MWCNTs, NiO/MWCNTs and MnO2/MWCNTs nanocomposites electrodes were found to be 68.56, 134.40 and 302.41 F/g, respectively. Key words: Supercapacitor % Nanocomposites % Specific capacitance % Metal oxides INTRODUCTION The electrochemical capacitor (EC, also named as supercapacitor) is a novel type of energy storage device whose capacitance is 20–200 times higher than that of an electrolytic capacitor [1, 2]. The supercapacitor has several...