Synthesis of three-dimensional hierarchical furball-like tungsten trioxide microspheres for high performance supercapacitor electrodes.

A hierarchical furball-like WO3 electrode material, based on stainless-steel mesh, was successfully synthesized via a simple in situ hydrothermal method. The electrode materials obtained are made from a self-assembled nanorod core and a connected/quasi-connected nano-thorn network shell, and could help utilize all the surface or near-surface regions for faradaic reaction. Furthermore, the furball-like WO3 special microstructure provides a more effective charge storage area, exhibiting a high specific capacitance of 8.35 F cm-2 and excellent cycling stability (93.4% of its initial value after 10 000 cycles). These performances indicate this furball-like WO3 material would be a promising candidate for high performance supercapacitors.