Optimization of Bi₂O₃ Growth on Carbon Cloth Surface via Plasma Activation for Enhancing the Capacitive Performance of Composite Materials

Developing high-performance carbon materials and transition metal oxide composites is significant for advancing supercapacitors. In this study, we adopt a novel approach by etching numerous micropores onto the surface of carbon cloth using plasma activation technology, thereby providing growth sites for Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles during the hydrothermal process. This has enabled the preparation of Bi₂O₃ and plasma-treated carbon cloth composites (Bi₂O₃@PCC) with uniformly distributed nanoparticles, we are demonstrating excellent rate performance and specific capacitance. Under a 1 mA cm⁻² current density, the area-specific capacitance reaches 3279.7 mF cm⁻². As the current density increases to 20 mA cm⁻², the capacitance retains 61.3% of its value. In contrast, the Bi₂O₃@CC composite material without plasma treatment exhibits relatively lower specific capacitance and retention, with values of 1762.2 mF cm⁻² and 35.4%, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that the performance of the composite material Bi₂O₃@PCC has significantly improved compared to that prepared with untreated carbon cloth. This research presents an innovative method for preparing high-performance carbon material and transition metal oxide composites for supercapacitor applications, offering promising results that suggest a bright future for the advancing supercapacitor technology.