Defect-engineered TiO2 electrodes for enhanced supercapacitor performance
摘要
To investigate the influence of structural defects on the electrochemical performance of TiO2 for supercapacitor applications, we develop two synthetic strategies: a hydrothermal method and a post-synthetic chemical reduction for controlled oxygen defect implantation. These methods yield two-dimensional TiO2 nanosheets with uniformly distributed defects located in the bulk, on the surface, or in both regions simultaneously. Detailed characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy confirms the formation of the anatase phase TiO2 with controlled defect engineering. The electrochemical behavior was systematically investigated through cyclic voltammetry, constant-current charge–discharge measurements, and impedance analysis performed in a three-electrode configuration employing 3 M KOH as the aqueous electrolyte, revealing that the NaBH4-annealed TiO2 delivered a maximum specific capacitance of 297 F g−1 at 2 A g−1 and 66.5% retention after 5000 cycles. The observed improvement in electrochemical performance originates from the synergistic effects of enhanced electrical conductivity, a higher density of redox-active sites, and facilitated ion diffusion enabled by the defect-enriched architecture. These results highlight a facile strategy to enhance TiO2-based electrodes for next-generation energy storage devices.