Depressed reaction kinetics due to the electrochemical properties of transition metal materials themselves and a discordant coexistence relationship between substrates and these kinds materials remain major problems in developing high-performance supercapacitors (SCs). Here, a functionalized N, P dual-doped porous carbon cloth (NPPCC) substrate is designed using cotton spinning cloth as the original material, and the following NPPCC-supported Ni and Co bimetallic sulfide (NPPCC-BS) is applied to construct an SC. The porous carbon networks with structural defects and heteroatom doping exhibited in such a novel substrate are beneficial to not only robust and well-conditioned growth of active materials but also improved interface interrelation, thereby resulting in enhanced reaction kinetics of the hybrid electrode via strong coupling effect and stable combination between substrate and active materials. Accordingly, the NPPCC-BS electrode as positive electrode is fabricated into an all-solid-state asymmetric SC device; this device delivers high energy storage and supply capacity (45.8 Wh kg–1 at 15.7 kW kg–1) and an excellent long-term cycling life (88.6% capacity retention after 15000 cycles).

Improving surface selectivity and maximizing electrode surface area are critical needs for the electroreduction of nitrate. Herein, preferential (100) oriented Pt nanoflowers with an extended surface area were prepared by potentiostatic deposition on carbon cloth (Pt NFs/CC), and then Cu atoms were adsorbed on the Pt NFs (Cu/Pt NFs/CC) for application of nitrate electroreduction. The results reveal that Cu/Pt NFs/CC with 8.7% Cu coverage exhibits a high selectivity for nitrate electroreduction to N2 following two steps: Nitrate firstly converts into nitrite on Cu sites adsorbed on Pt NFs, then nitrite subsequently selective reduction and ammonia oxidation to N2 occur on the large exposed (100) terraces in Pt NFs. In addition, electrocatalytic activity and selectivity of nitrate reduction strongly rely on the Cu surface coverage on Pt NFs, the lower activity of nitrate reduction is displayed with increase of Cu coverage. Accordingly, the selective reduction of nitrate to N2 is feasible at such nanostructured Pt nanoflowers modified with Cu.