Hierarchical NiV-LDH Nanosheet Arrays Vertically Grown on MXene-Embedded Carbon Nanofibers for High-Performance Flexible Supercapacitors

A flexible integrated composite electrode is fabricated using NiV-layered double hydroxide (NiV-LDH) nanosheets grown perpendicularly onto a Ti3C2Tx MXene-incorporated carbon nanofiber scaffold (MXene/CNFs). This hybrid structure, prepared by electrospinning and a hydrothermal treatment, is referred to as NiV-LDH@MXene/CNFs. Constructed from a conductive MXene/CNF scaffold and vertically aligned NiV-LDH nanosheets, the integrated flexible electrode offers uninterrupted electron transport, good flexibility, abundant active sites, and strong interfacial cohesion, thereby obviating the use of polymeric binders and conductive additives. The hydrophilic nature of MXene and the three-dimensionally interconnected porous structure favor rapid electrolyte uptake and ion diffusion. As a result of these synergistic effects, the composite exhibits a specific capacitance of 614 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and retains 60% of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles at 5 A g−1 in a three-electrode cell. An asymmetric supercapacitor made of this material and activated carbon achieves 68.75% capacitance retention under the same cycling protocol at 5 A g−1 and shows a stable open-circuit voltage of 1.37 V. Two cells in series are capable of lighting a 3 V LED strip. Overall, this work validates an effective strategy to prepare high-capacity, robust, and binder-free flexible electrodes for advanced energy-storage applications.