Bimetal Modified HKUST-1 as Electrode Material for Supercapacitor

As the demand for energy and technological advancements continues to grow, the need for efficient and high-capacity energy storage devices is also increasing. Supercapacitors have emerged as a potential solution, offering advantages such as high specific capacitance, shorter charging times, and longer lifespan. Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) materials have shown promise potential as various electrodes applications due to their superior surface area and porosity. This study focuses on the development of MOF materials based on HKUST-1 with bimetallic modification at a 1:1 ratio, using cobalt and nickel as the metal center. The synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical testing were conducted to evaluate the potential of each material as an electrode for supercapacitor applications. The synthesis was carried out using the coprecipitation method. SEM and XRD characterizations revealed poor crystallinity, with a morphological change to polyhedral shapes with the addition of Ni and elongated shapes with the addition of Co. Electrochemical tests using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge discharge techniques demonstrated poor supercapacitor performance, with non-ideal voltammetry curves and relatively low specific capacitance compared to common supercapacitor materials. The trend shows that secondary metals improves the characteristics of HKUST-1 as supercapacitor. It is shown that the HKUST-1 which has been added with Co and Ni is better than regular HKUST-1, with Co being the best out of all three. This trend is also supported by DFT calculations which shows stronger adsorption in Co active sites, followed by Ni and lastly Cu.