A review of carbon-based hybrid materials for supercapacitors

Supercapacitors are gaining popularity due to their high cycling stability, power density, and fast charge and discharge rates. Researchers are exploring electrode materials, electrolytes, and separators for cost-effective energy storage systems. Advances in materials science have led to the development of hybrid nanomaterials, such as combining filamentous carbon forms with inorganic nanoparticles, to create new charge and energy transfer processes. Notable materials for electrochemical energy-storage applications include MXenes, 2D transition metal carbides, and nitrides, carbon black, carbon aerogels, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, conducting polymers, carbon fibers, and nanofibers, and graphene, because of their thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. Carbon materials mixed with conducting polymers, ceramics, metal oxides, transition metal oxides, metal hydroxides, transition metal sulfides, transition metal dichalcogenide, metal sulfides, carbides, nitrides, and biomass materials have received widespread attention due to their remarkable performance, eco-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and renewability. This article explores the development of carbon-based hybrid materials for future supercapacitors, including electric double-layer capacitors, pseudocapacitors, and hybrid supercapacitors. It investigates the difficulties that influence structural design, manufacturing (electrospinning, hydrothermal/ solvothermal, template-assisted synthesis, electrodeposition, electrospray, 3D printing) techniques and the latest carbon-based hybrid materials research offer practical solutions for producing high-performance, next-generation supercapacitors.