Supercapacitor Electrodes Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide Composited with Manganese Metal Oxide

The growing global demand for energy has increased the need for sustainable and green energy storage solutions. This project proposes a rapid, inexpensive, yet facile technique, called Laser Ablation Synthesis in Solution (LASiS) to synthesize hybrid nanocomposites (HNCs) composed of manganese oxides (MnO_x/Mn₃O₄) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as active electrode material in energy storage devices. During LASiS, the HNCs were synthesized under extreme conditions of a liquid-confined plasma plume, resulting in a structure consisting of MnO_x/Mn₃O₄ nanorods and nanoparticles embedded on rGO nanosheets. The HNCs, alongside graphene and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were then 3D printed via inkjet printing method for electrode fabrication. Electrochemical testing demonstrated that the LASiS-synthesized MnO_x/Mn₃O₄-rGO electrode had a significantly higher specific capacitance than electrodes created with commercially available Mn₃O₄-graphene nanocomposites. The result from this study highlights the potential of LASiS-synthesized functional materials and additive manufacturing techniques for creating all-printed supercapacitor devices with superior performance.