Page 43 - Read Online

Research Article | Open Access

Soft Science

Zhang et al. Soft Sci. 2026, 6, 16 DOI:10.20517/ss.2025.95

Enhanced supercapacitor performance using an
anodized stainless steel flexible electrode coated
with an electron cyclotron resonance carbon film

Wenlei Zhang , Zhuohao Liu , Jiulong Liu , Chenyu Chai , Peidong Xue , Gang Li , Zhongyun Yuan , Lei
1
3
2
1,*
2
1
1
Yang 4
Keywords:
Carbon film, anodized
stainless steel, electron
cyclotron resonance
sputtering, cycling stability,
flexible supercapacitor
Citation: Zhang, W.; Liu, Z.;
Liu, J.; Chai, C.; Xue, P.; Li, G.;
Yuan, Z.; Yang, L. Enhanced
supercapacitor performance
using an anodized stainless
steel flexible electrode
coated with an electron
cyclotron resonance carbon
film. Soft Sci. 2026, 6, 16.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517
/ss.2025.95
Abstract
Received: 27 Sep 2025
First Decision: 11 Nov Electrochemically anodized stainless steel (SS) shows promise as a free-standing electrode
2025 in flexible supercapacitors due to its low cost, eco-friendly nature, and binder-free
Revised: 24 Dec 2025 characteristics. However, unsatisfactory cycling stability limits its practical use in wearable
Accepted: 7 Jan 2026 electronics. Herein, we introduce a conductive carbon film deposited on the surface of the
Published: 4 Mar 2026
anodized SS electrode as a protective layer via electron cyclotron resonance sputtering. By
Academic Editors: optimizing the deposition bias voltage and deposition time, the resulting flexible electrode
Yat Li, Xingcan Huang exhibits a specific capacitance of 271.6 mF·cm at a current density of 1 mA·cm ,
-2
-2
Copy Editor: representing a 2.24-fold increase over the uncoated counterpart, with 88.7% capacitance
Pei-Yun Wang
Production Editor: retention after 8,000 cycles. The enhanced performance is closely related to the
Pei-Yun Wang conductivity of the surface coating, which depends on the sp2/sp3 ratio (the relative
proportion of graphitic to diamond-like carbon bonding). The carbon film-coated anodized

1 College of Integrated Circuits & Key Lab of Advanced Transducers and Intelligent Control System of the Ministry of Education, Taiyuan
University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi, China.
2 Institute of Energy Innovation, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi,
China.
3 Institute of Nanosurface Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong, China.
4 Key Laboratory of Education Ministry for Modern Design & Rotor-Bearing System, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi,
China.

* Correspondence to: Prof. Zhongyun Yuan, College of Integrated Circuits & Key Lab of Advanced Transducers and Intelligent Control
System of the Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi, China. E-mail:
yuanzhongyun@tyut.edu.cn

www.oaepublish.com Submit a Manuscript: https://ucenter.oaepublish.com