Nitridation-boosted V eg occupation of a VN@CNT flexible electrode for high-rate Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors

Flexible zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (f-ZHSCs), with their inherent safety, combine the advantages of the high power density of supercapacitors and the high energy density of zinc-ion batteries, making them a promising energy supply device for wearable and implantable devices. However, commonly used rigid cathode materials and fracture-prone metallic current collectors encounter significant challenges, such as inadequate flexibility and compromised cycling stability, which impede the further development of f-ZHSCs. Herein, we design a free-standing flexible membrane electrode VN@CNT for f-ZHSCs through a nitridation strategy. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (s-XAS) reveals the boosted occupation of electrons in the V e(g) orbital 3d(x)(2)-y(2) state after nitridation, leading to enhanced metallicity and conductivity. As a result, the VN@CNT flexible electrode exhibits an excellent specific capacitance of 314.44 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1). Moreover, it demonstrates exceptional rate capability, retaining 80.17% of its capacitance at a high current density of 10 A g(-1) compared to that of 0.5 A g(-1). Importantly, it also shows excellent flexibility, enduring bending angles of 0 to 180 degrees and showing no detectable degradation in capacitance after 1200 bending cycles. By design and in-depth study of the local structure of the flexible electrode, this work provides insight into the development of flexible electronics.