Facile Synthesis of Different Morphologies of Cu₂SnS₃ for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Abstract

Cu2SnS3 is considered as an emerging potential candidate for electrode materials due to considerable interlayer spaces and tunnels in its crystal structures and excellent conducting ability. Ternary Cu2SnS3 as anode in lithium ion batteries has already been reported, but it is rarely mentioned to be applied in supercapacitors which is considered to be a complementary energy storage device for lithium ion batteries. It is an effective method to improve the electrochemical performance of materials by adjusting the morphology and microstructure of materials. In present study, ternary nanosheet-assembled Cu2SnS3 microspheres (M-CTS) and nanoparticles-like Cu2SnS3 (N-CTS) are synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. The results suggest that Cu2SnS3 microspheres (M-CTS) exhibit better capacitive performance compared with Cu2SnS3 (N-CTS) nanoparticles, which means that morphology does have a significant effect on the electrochemical reaction. M-CTS presents excellent supercapacitor performances with the high specific capacity of about 406 C g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and achieves a high energy density of 85.6 W h kg-1 and power density of 720 W kg-1. The remarkable electrochemical performance of Cu2SnS3 can be attributed to the large specific surface area, smaller average pore size, and improved electrical conductivity. Our research indicates that it is very suitable for large-scale production and has enormous potential in the practical application of high-performance supercapacitors.