A mini review - activated-carbon and vanadium -oxide based composites

Electrochemical energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors are used in renewable energy systems. Supercapacitors (SCs) are advanced capacitors designs with a higher energy density than conventional ones. Supercapacitors are promising for energy storage. The active materials mainly influence the performance of a supercapacitor. Nanocarbon derivatives such as reduced graphene oxide (rGO), graphene, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied as active materials. The activated carbons are low-cost and have large surface areas but low electrical conductivity. Similarly, among various metal oxide materials, the low cost, low toxicity, layered structure, and multiple oxidation valences of nano-structured V2O5 make it outstanding among other oxide materials. The composites of vanadium oxide and activated carbon derived from various precursors are widely studied in the literature. Incorporating charcoal with vanadium improves energy storage and biocompatible applications that depend upon the specific characteristics of the charcoal used. This mini-review primarily discusses the recent developments in active electrode materials utilizing Vanadium and active carbon for energy applications.