Facile Synthesis of Co3O4-Incorporated Multichannel Carbon Nanofibers for Electrochemical Applications

Abstract

Considering their superior electrochemical performances, extensive studies have been carried out on composite nanomaterials based on porous carbon nanofibers. However, the introduction of inorganic components into a porous structure is complex and has a low yield. In this study, we propose a simple synthesis of cobalt-oxide-incorporated multichannel carbon nanofibers (P-Co-MCNFs) as electrode materials for electrochemical applications. The cobalt oxide component is directly formed in the carbon structure by a simple oxygen plasma exposure of the phase-separated polymer nanofibers. P-Co-MCNF displays high specific capacitance (815 F g-1 at 2.0 A g-1), rate capability (821 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and 786 F g-1 at 20 A g-1), and cycle stability (92.1% for 5000 cycles) as a supercapacitor electrode. Moreover, excellent sensitivity (down to 1 nM) and selectivity to the glucose molecule is demonstrated for nonenzyme sensor applications.