Regulating Oxygen Substituents with Optimized Redox Activity in Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide for Aqueous Zn-Ion Hybrid Capacitor

Functionalizing carbon cathode surfaces with oxygen functional groups is an effective way to simultaneously tailor the fundamental properties and customize the electrochemical properties of aqueous Zn-ion hybrid capacitors. In this work, the oxygen functional groups of chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are systematically regulated via a series of reductants and varied experimental conductions. Carboxyl and carbonyl have been proven to significantly enhance the aqueous electrolyte wettability, Zn-ion chemical adsorption, and pseudocapacitive redox activity by experimental study and computational analysis. The rGO cathode produced through hydrogen peroxide assisted hydrothermal reduction exhibits a specific capacitance of 277 F g−1 in 1 m ZnSO4 after optimization of surface oxygen functional groups. In addition, a quasi-solid-state flexible Zn-ion hybrid capacitor (ZHC) with a polyacrylamide gel electrolyte and a high loading mass of 5.1 mg cm−2 are assembled. The as-prepared quasi-solid state ZHC can offer a superior areal capacitance of 1257 mF cm−2 and distinguished areal energy density of 342 µW h cm−2. The significant enhancement of redox activity and Zn-ion storage capability by regulating the oxygen functional groups can shed light on the promotion of electrochemical charge storage properties even beyond protic electrolyte systems.