Abstract
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•We overcome the poor stability of MoO3 electrodes in aqueous electrolytes for supercapacitors.•We thermally produce an amorphous MoP protective shell on Mo oxide nanotube arrays.•The result is a capacitance retention of ∼93% over 10,000 charging/discharging cycles.•The MoP-protected nanotube arrays can be used as binder-free electrodes.•The structures deliver a non-intercalation-based volumetric capacitance of over 2000 F cm−3.
In the current energy scenario, electrochemical capacitors hold the promise to fulfil requirements of high power densities, short charging-discharging times, and long lifetimes. For such supercapacitors, MoO3 is one of the most potent candidate as a negative electrode material, due to a very high theoretical charge density ascribed to easily-switchable multiple oxidation states. Nevertheless, the extremely poor electrochemical stability of MoO3 in aqueous electrolytes prevents any practical use. In the present work, we outline a strategy to overcome the poor stability of MoO3 electrodes: we produce by thermal phosphidation an amorphous MoP protective shell on Mo oxide nanotube arrays. This not only leads to an outstanding stability of the electrode but the phosphidized hybrid structures even maintains a capacitance as high as the initial capacitance (i.e. measured before deterioration) of unprotected pure oxide structures: the phosphidized hybrid structure, used as binder-free electrodes, can deliver a non-intercalation-based volumetric capacitance of over 2000 F cm−3 with an outstanding capacitance retention of ∼93% over 10,000 charging/discharging cycles.