Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide assisted hydrothermal synthesis of cobalt oxide nanowires anchored on graphene as an efficient electrode material for supercapacitor applications

Cobalt oxide is a very promising material for supercapacitor with high theoretical specific capacitance . However, its poor cyclability resulting from the faradaic pseudocapacitive characteristics restricts its application. In this study, we employ an efficient strategy by introducing in-situ reduced graphene oxide to establish a porous conductive network for electron and ion transporting. A series composites of cobalt oxide nanowires supported on reduced graphene oxide are successfully synthesized with the assistance of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide by a facile hydrothermal method . The as-prepared composites are investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy , X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy , Nitrogen physisorption , Scanning electron microscopy and Transmission electron microscopy , as well as electrochemical analysis in a three-electrode system. Remarkably, the composite exhibits a maximum specific capacitance of 531 F g −1 at a 0.1 A g −1 current density accompanying a 64% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles at a high current density of 10 A g −1 .