ZnS/FeS /activated carbon derived from rice husk loaded on nickel foam as a novel electrode material for supercapacitors

The discovery of cost-effective and innovative electrode materials for energy production devices, particularly supercapacitors, prompted our research team to develop a novel type of activated carbon derived from rice husk (ACRH). This material was combined with one of the efficient binary transition metal sulfides, ZnS/FeS, to evaluate its potential as an energy storage electrode. The ZnS/FeS/ACRH composite was successfully synthesized using the hydrothermal method, as verified through comprehensive physical characterization. Electrochemical analyses, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), revealed the outstanding electrochemical energy storage performance of this electrode material. Notably, the composite exhibited a specific capacitance of 1207C/g and maintained 89.3 % stability over 5000 consecutive GCD cycles, making it a promising candidate for industrial-scale applications in supercapacitors. Furthermore, the assembled supercapacitor demonstrated its efficiency by powering blue and red LEDs for approximately 40 s.