A simple, binder-free, method of making supercapacitor electrodes is introduced, based on modification of activated carbon with graphite oxide and carbon nanotubes. The three carbon precursors of different morphologies support each other to provide outstanding electrochemical performance, such as high capacitance and high energy density. The ternary carbon composite shows six times higher specific capacitance compared to that of activated carbon itself with high retention. The excellent electrochemical properties of the ternary composite attribute to the high surface area of 1933 m(2) g(-1) and low equivalent series resistance of 2 Omega, demonstrating that it improve the electrochemical performance for supercapacitor applications. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.