Carbon electrode with conductivity improvement using silver nanowires for high-performance supercapacitor

Increasing the energy density without sacrificing power density is a key technical problem all the time that hinders the further application of supercapacitor. A good electrical conductivity electrode determines whether the supercapacitor can be charged-discharged at the high current density and the electric energy stored can be effectively utilized. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) acted as an electrode material in supercapacitor not only improve the electrical conductivity, but also enhance the mechanical stability. Here, we provide a simple and low-cost way to effectively improve the conductivity of carbon electrode by adding suitable AgNWs dispersed in alcohol. A single cell with a composite electrode composed of activated carbon (AC) and 4% AgNWs has a capacitance of 215 F g^{- 1}, an excellent rate performance of 75% at 10 A g^{- 1}, and a good cycling stability after 5000 cycles, showing a great improvement compared with bare AC. The results suggest that the composite electrode composed of AC and AgNWs have a great potential application in supercapacitor commercialization.