LAUSR

Abstract Providing a good contact between electroactive materials and their substrates is an important factor for developing supercapacitors. In our work, a Graphene (Gr)/cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanocomposite film was directly fabricated on a Cu foil by a simple one-step electrodeposition approach. The obtained binder-free electrode (referred as Gr-Cu2O nanocomposite/Cu foil) was directly used as a working electrode for supercapacitors. The electrochemical evaluations in 6 M KOH show that the electrode has the specific capacitance of 161.31 F g−1 at a scan rate of 10 mV s−1 and 124.70 F g−1 at a current density of 1 mA mg−1. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the electrode originates from the synergistic cooperation between its two components. In addition, the corrosion behavior of the as-fabricated electrode in 6 M KOH showing an enhanced corrosion resistivity in Cu foils in the presence of the Gr-Cu2O nanocomposite. Eventually, a 2 V asymmetric supercapacitor cell was assembled by the Gr-Cu2O nanocomposite/Cu foil as a positive electrode and the Gr/Cu foil as a negative electrode in 1 M TEA-BF4 in acetonitrile, which exhibits the maximum specific capacitance and energy density of 11.94 F g−1 and 6.63 Wh kg−1 at 10 mV s−1, respectively.