Laser assisted phase transformation of carbon-based transition metal oxide electrode for high-performance supercapacitor application

Transitional metal oxides have a wide range of applications due to their superior properties. The enhanced performance of metal oxide relies on their desirable oxidation states, which is challenging to achieve and requires complex post-processes. This study demonstrates a facile strategy enabling rapid phase transformation of transition metal oxide. The approach involves synthesis of a tetragonal Mn₃O₄/carbon cloth composite using the liquid plasma discharge deposition (LPDD) technique, followed by laser irradiation with the presence of ethylene glycol under an N₂ gas environment. The resulting face-centered cubic MnO/carbon cloth electrode exhibits an excellent capacitance of 1,125 F g⁻¹ at 2 A g⁻¹ with remarkable capacitance retention of 95% after 10,000 cycles. This approach can be extended to other transition metals including Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn. Computational simulations reveal the significance of ethylene glycol and the underlying mechanism associated with the phase transformation of transition metal oxides. The present study offers a powerful technique for the phase transformation of transition metal oxide which can guide the development of new electrode materials with enhanced electrochemical properties for high-performance energy storage applications.