SAINS MALAYSIANA

Sains Malaysiana 55(5)(2026): 848-857

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2026-5505-07

Peningkatan Prestasi Elektrokimia Komposit Karbon Nanotiub/Mangan Sulfida (CNT/MnS) melalui Pengoptimuman Kandungan CNT sebagai Elektrod dalam Superkapateri

(Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Carbon Nanotube/Manganese Sulfide (CNT/MnS) Composites via Optimization of CNT Content as Electrodes for Supercapattery)

ARTIQAH KHAIRUDIN, MUHAMMAD AQILL JALI, MUHAMMAD IZZ ROSLI, NURUL ALIA ROSLI & FATIN SAIHA OMAR*

Jabatan Fizik Gunaan, Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

Diserahkan: 29 Januari 2026/Diterima: 24 April 2026

Abstrak

Mangan sulfida (MnS) berpotensi tinggi sebagai bahan elektrod kerana nilai teori kapasitinya yang tinggi. Namun, MnS mempunyai kekonduksian yang rendah, justeru, mengehadkan kecekapan prestasi elektrokimianya. Oleh itu, karbon nanotiub (CNT) diperkenalkan sebagai bahan sokongan konduktif bagi meningkatkan prestasi MnS. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah pertumbuhan CNT/MnS melalui proses hidroterma dengan kuantiti berat CNT dipelbagaikan bagi menentukan nisbah optimum melalui nilai kapasitans khusus tertinggi. Kaedah ini dipilih untuk membolehkan fabrikasi elektrod tanpa penggunaan bahan pengikat, sekali gus dapat mengurangkan rintangan antara bahan aktif dan substrat serta meningkatkan kecekapan pemindahan cas. Melalui analisis pembelauan sinaran-X (XRD), kekisi CNT/MnS menunjukkan bahawa kehadiran CNT tidak mengganggu kehabluran MnS. Manakala, imej mikroskop elektron imbasan pancaran medan (FESEM) pula menunjukkan bahawa CNT mempunyai struktur rangkaian bersambung yang menggabungkan kepingan MnS kepada morfologi berbentuk bunga. Berdasarkan pencirian elektrokimia, komposit dengan nisbah berat CNT:MnS = 1:1 (CNT/MnS-1) menunjukkan kapasitans khusus tertinggi (11386 Cg^-1 pada 2 Ag^-1). Peningkatan ini dikaitkan dengan kekonduksian CNT yang tinggi dan pembentukan rangkaian konduktif berterusan yang menstabilkan struktur bahan semasa proses cas dan nyahcas. Justeru, keseimbangan nisbah berat CNT/MnS merupakan parameter kritikal kerana prestasi elektrokimia ditentukan oleh sinergi antara kekonduksian elektrik CNT dan aktiviti redoks MnS. Oleh itu, pengoptimuman nisbah berat kedua-duanya adalah penting untuk mencapai keseimbangan antara pemindahan elektron yang cekap dan kapasiti penyimpanan cas yang tinggi.

Kata kunci: Elektrod; karbon; karbon nanotiub; mangan; sulfida; superkapateri

Abstract

Manganese sulfide (MnS) is a highly promising electrode material due to its multiple oxidation states. However, its low electrical conductivity and limited structural stability restrict its electrochemical performance. Therefore, carbon nanotubes (CNT) were introduced as a conductive supporting material to enhance the performance of MnS. In this study, CNT/MnS electrodes were fabricated via a hydrothermal growth process, with varying CNT content to determine the optimum composition that delivers the highest specific capacitance. This approach also enables binder-free electrode fabrication, thereby reducing interfacial resistance between the active material and the substrate while improving charge transfer efficiency. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms that the incorporation of CNT does not disrupt the crystalline structure of MnS. Meanwhile, the FESEM images show that CNT form an interconnected network structure that integrates flake-like MnS into a flower-like morphology. Electrochemical analysis demonstrates that the composite with a CNT/MnS ratio of 1:1 (CNT/MnS-1) exhibits the highest specific capacitance of 11386 C g⁻¹ at 2 A g⁻¹. This improvement is attributed to the high electrical conductivity of CNTs and the formation of a continuous conductive network that stabilizes the electrode structure during repeated charge–discharge processes. These results confirm that a balanced CNT and MnS composition is critical for achieving optimal electrochemical performance. This enhancement is attributed to the high conductivity of CNTs and the formation of an interconnected conductive network that stabilizes the electrode structure during charge–discharge processes. Therefore, the CNT/MnS weight ratio is identified as a critical parameter, as the synergistic interaction between electrical conductivity of CNT and the redox activity of MnS that governs the electrochemical performance. Optimizing this ratio is essential to achieve a balance between efficient electron transport and high charge storage capacity.

Keywords: Carbon; carbon nanotubes; electrode; manganese; sulfide; supercapattery

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*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: fatinsaiha@ukm.edu.my