Supramolecular modified porous carbons with hierarchical adsorption of quinone active molecules for high performance supercapacitors

Quinone active molecules (QAM) with high redox activity, large capacitance and exceptional electrochemical reversibility, allow for the creation of eco-sustainable and high-energy density electrode materials. However, its low conductivity and easy solubility limit its application. This study presents a novel strategy to construct QAM/CDP@PC supramolecular nanostructures for supercapacitors by in situ polymerisation of β-cyclodextrin polymers (CDP) onto porous carbon (PC), which as supramolecular acceptors, and enrichment of the guest molecule QAM (alizarin red, sodium anthraquinone-2-sulfonate, 2,6-diaminoanthraquinone). The transformation and binding energy of QAM in electrochemical processes were investigated through the use of in-situ XPS, FTIR, and DFT calculations. The results indicate that the QAM/CDP@PC exhibits better performance than most quinone based supercapacitors in terms of specific capacitance (805 F/g) and capacity retention (95.3 %). This study provides a promising strategy for the development of organic supercapacitors with increased capacity and improved cycling stability.