Incorporation of α-MnO₂ Nanoflowers into Zinc-Terephthalate Metal-Organic Frameworks for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Herein, we report the synthesis of α-MnO₂ nanoflower-incorporated zinc-terephthalate MOFs (MnO₂@Zn-MOFs) via the conventional solution phase synthesis technique as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications. The material was characterized by powder-X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The prepared electrode material exhibited a specific capacitance of 880.58 F g^-1 at 5 A g^-1, which is higher than the pure Zn-BDC (610.83 F g^-1) and pure α-MnO₂ (541.69 F g^-1). Also, it showed a 94% capacitance retention of its initial value after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g^-1. The improved performance is attributed to the increased number of reactive sites and improved redox activity due to MnO₂ inclusion. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor assembled using MnO₂@Zn-MOF as the anode and carbon black as the cathode delivered a specific capacitance of 160 F g^-1 at 3 A g^-1 with a high energy density of 40.68 W h kg^-1 at a power density of 20.24 kW kg^-1 with an operating potential of 0-1.35 V. The ASC also exhibited a good cycle stability of 90% of its initial capacitance.