Hydrothermally synthesised nickel oxide nanostructures on nickel foam and nickel foil for supercapacitor application

Nickle-based oxides exhibit seamless redox activity and show undisputed parameter optimization flexibility, which makes them a candidate of choice for various scientific analysis and multipurpose execution. The communique addresses the domain of energy storage of hydrothermally fabricated nickel oxide nanostructures by analysing the capacitive behaviour of the sample. The crystal geometry, chemical composition and bonding state of the material were carried out through XRD and XPS analysis, respectively. Electron microscopy showed systematically aligned nano-needles, which in aggregate represent an urchin. A comparative study of specific capacitance (Cs) at a scan rate of 1 mVs^?1 showed an enhanced Cs of nickel oxide embedded Ni-foam (1125 Fg^-1) against nickel oxide deposited Ni-foil (454 Fg^-1). At a current density of 8 mAcm ^?2, the nickel oxide based Ni-foam electrode exhibited an energy density of 23 Whkg^?1 and a power density of 259 Wkg^-1 which makes it instrumental in electrochemical devices. The Ni-foam electrode also showed less ‘cycle fatigue’ as its charge/discharge stability dipped by just 12% even after 5000 cycles. The novel supercapacitor electrode developed in this study exhibits excellent specific capacitance, high stability, high power density, and low impedance, demonstrating its promising practical functionality.     

Morphology tailoring and enhanced electrochemical properties of Cd–Zn co-doped NiO nanorods for high performance supercapacitor

A systematic approach has been introduced to synthesize Cd–Zn co-doped NiO nanostructures with different ratios such as Cd_0.07Zn_0.03NiO, Cd_0.05Zn_0.05NiO, Cd_0.03Zn_0.07NiO and Cd_0.01Zn_0.09NiO for supercapacitor applications. The XRD studies has confirmed the phase purity with average crystallite size of 40 nm. The SEM characterization has shown that the morphology of nanostructures was tuned from particles to nano-rods structure with increasing the at. % concentration of Zn doping. Optical properties revealed that band gap and recombination rate have strong co-relation with specific capacitance. The CV results have confirmed the pseudocapacitive nature of the as prepared nanostructures and maximum specific capacitance (1485.19 Fg^-1) was measured for Cd_0.03Zn_0.07NiO which is superior than numerous reported values of NiO. The GCD results of Cd_0.03Zn_0.07NiO performed at 1 A/g scan rate, exhibited excellent charging-discharging ability with high cyclic retention of 82.8%. High capacitance and superior stability of Cd_0.03Zn_0.07NiO material indicate it as a potential candidate for supercapacitor applications.     

NiCo2O4 arrays nanostructures on nickel foam: Morphology control and application for pseudocapacitors

The design of electrode materials with desirable morphology is of great importance and challenge to fabricate high-performance supercapacitors. In this work, NiCo₂O₄ nanopetal, nanosheet, nanoneedle and nanorod arrays on nickel foam have been synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method. The morphologies of NiCo₂O₄ arrays can be easily controlled by adjusting the kinds of alkali source and the addition of NH₄F. The electrochemical results show that the NiCo₂O₄ nanoneedles electrode has the optimal electrochemical performance among four samples, demonstrating its promising application potential for high performance supercapacitors. This investigation about morphology control of NiCo₂O₄ electrode materials and the relationship between the morphologies and corresponding electrochemical performances provides strategies to enhance the performance of supercapacitor electrodes.     

Phase-controlled solvothermal synthesis and morphology evolution of nickel sulfide and its pseudocapacitance performance

Phase-controlled solvothermal synthesis has been proposed for the synthesis of nickel sulfide of single phase including α-NiS, Ni₃S₄ and NiS₂ by tuning the reaction time and the addition of surfactant. The phase evolution of nickel sulfide proceeds with the increase of sulfur stoichiometry with longer reaction time in the presence of surfactant. With the addition of hexadecyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB), a higher sulfur stoichiometry NiS₂ phase with hollow sphere geometry was synthesized at 9 h, a much shorter time due to the enrichment of S²⁻ on CTAB micelle surface, followed by the transformation to single phase Ni₃S₄ finally due to dissipation of enriched sulfur to the bulk solution. The application of these three single phase materials in supercapacitors was investigated. The α-NiS electrode material outperformed the Ni₃S₄ and NiS₂ electrodes, exhibiting a much higher specific capacitance of 800 F g⁻¹ at 0.5 A g⁻¹, attributable to the small particle size, high electrical conductivity and the unique hexagonal crystal structure.     

Morphological and structural studies of nanoporous nickel oxide films fabricated by anodic electrochemical deposition techniques

Porous nickel oxide films are directly deposited onto conducting indium tin oxide coated glass substrates by cyclic voltammetric (CV), galvanostatic, and potentiostatic strategies in a plating bath of sodium acetate, nickel sulfate, and sodium sulfate. By tuning the deposition parameters, it is possible to prepare nickel oxide films with various morphologies and structures. Film formation relies on the oxidation of dissolved Ni²⁺ to Ni³⁺, which further reacts with the available hydroxide ions from a slightly alkaline electrolyte to form insoluble nickel oxide/hydroxide deposits on the substrate. A compact film with particularly small pores is obtained by CV deposition in a potential range of 0.7-1.1 V. A galvanostatically deposited film is structurally denser near the surface of the substrate, and becomes less dense further away from the surface. Interestingly, a potentiostatically deposited film has pores distributed uniformly throughout the entire film. Therefore, for obtaining a uniform film with suitable pore size for electrolyte penetration, potentiostatic deposition technique is suggested. In addition, except for CV deposition, the deposited films resemble closely to cubic NiO when the annealing temperature exceeds 200 °C.     

Tunable morphology of aluminum oxide whiskers grown by hydrothermal method

Hydrothermal method was used to grow α-Al₂O₃ whiskers by using hydrated aluminum sulfate, urea and poly ethylene glycol as precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) were used to characterize morphology of the whiskers. By increasing the pH of the solution (by adding extra NaOH), by adjusting calcination times and atmospheres it was possible to tune the whiskers morphology and their aspect ratio. Aspect ratio as high as 25 was obtained after hydrothermal treatment of a solution having pH 3 followed by calcination in Ar or N₂ atmosphere at 1200?°C for 6 h.     

Highly porous metal organic framework derived NiO hollow spheres and flowers for oxygen evolution reaction and supercapacitors

In this study, metal-organic-framework (MOF) derived porous NiO hollow spheres and flowers were obtained using facile solvothermal synthesis and heat treatment. After pyrolyzing, the flower like and hollow spherical like morphology of NiO nanoparticles was successfully inherited from the initial MOF-based templates. The electrochemical studies demonstrated that the porous NiO hallow spheres unveiled a better supercapacitive performance (specific capacitance (C_s) = 1058 F g^?1 at current density (j) = 2 A g^?1) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activity (overpotential (?) = 323 mV) compared to porous NiO flowers (C_s = 857 F g^?1 at j = 2 A g^?1 and ? = 346 mV). Moreover, excellent capacity retention of over 93% was obtained in porous NiO-hs nanoparticles even after 5000 cycles. The fabricated NiO//Fe₂O₃ asymmetric supercapacitor delivered an energy density (E) of 35.75 W h Kg^?1 under power density (P) of 780 W kg^?1 and showed promising stability over 3000 cycles. Considering the ease of preparation and high catalytic activity and supercapacitive performance, these prous NiO hallow structures can be considered as a potential electrode material for next generation energy storage devices and OER catalysts.     

Electrochemical behavior of activated-carbon capacitor material loaded with nickel oxide

In order to enhance specific capacitance and energy density of carbon-based supercapacitor, some nanometer-scale amorphous particles of nickel oxide were loaded into activated-carbon by suspending the activated-carbon in a Ni(NO₃)₂ solution followed by neutralization. A hybrid type electrochemical capacitor was made and tested, in which the activated-carbon loaded with nickel oxide was used as cathode material and activated-carbon was used as anode material. Although the BET surface area of the activated-carbon decreased upon nickel oxide loading compared to that of the starting material, its specific capacitance increased 10.84%, from 175.40 to 194.01 F g⁻¹ and the potential of oxygen evolution on the composite material electrode was 0.076 V higher than that of the pure activated-carbon electrode, in the electrolyte of 6 mol/L KOH solution, so the hybrid capacitor had larger energy density. Similar to the pure activated-carbon electrode, no obvious change appears on the specific capacitances of the composite material electrode at various discharge currents and the composite material electrode exhibiting good power characteristics.     

Electrochemical deposition of zinc oxide on a thin nickel buffer layer on silicon substrates

Electrochemical deposition of ZnO from aqueous nitrate solutions on nickel and platinum electrodes was investigated using the voltammetry technique to determine the optimal regimes in both potentiostatic and galvanostatic modes for acquiring polycrystalline ZnO films. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and X-ray microanalysis of the formed ZnO films are presented, showing a polycrystalline structure of the ZnO films with a preferable orientation in the (0 0 0 2) direction and an exact stoichiometric composition. The deposited ZnO films demonstrate a strong visible yellow-greenish photoluminescence at room temperature with a maximum at 600 nm that can be referred to crystal lattice oxygen defects. The maximum of the photoluminescence excitation spectrum at 370 nm corresponds to the band gap of ZnO (3.3–3.35 eV) confirming that band-to-band excitation mechanism takes place.     

水热法制备纳米氧化镍

以硝酸镍为原料,氢氧化钠为沉淀剂、聚乙二醇为分散剂,采用水热法获得前驱体,然后经煅烧制备纳米氧化镍粉体。采用XRD、SEM和TEM对其结构和形貌进行表征。研究了溶液的pH,水热反应温度、热处理温度对纳米氧化镍结构和形貌等影响。     

Influence of surface morphology on oxide growth in porous alumina

The formation of aluminium oxide layers on surfaces with different morphologies prepared by various structuring methods has been analyzed. Different growth rates and thus different oxide thicknesses have been observed under the same reaction parameters on planar surfaces in contrast to convex and concave surfaces with different radii in the curvature. The stronger the curvature of the concave or convex surface, the more the growth rates differ from the growth rates on planar surfaces. The influence of the electrical field strength on those differences is discussed in a simple model.     

Integration of MnO2 and ZIF-Derived nanoporous carbon on nickel foam as an electrode for high-performance supercapacitors

MnO₂ has the highest potential as a supercapacitor electrode; however, its disadvantage in electronic conductivity hinders its widespread use. This study reports the excellent electrochemical performance of MnMC/NF (MnO₂ and ZIF-derived nanoporous carbon on nickel foam) composites. MnMC/NF composites are produced when leaf-like Co-ZIF is annealed on nickel foam, followed by potassium permanganate treatment. When the annealing temperature reaches 700 °C, the maximum specific capacitance of 531 F/g is achieved at 1 A/g (456 F/g at 20 A/g) with a rate capability of 85.5%. MnMC/NF700 has a long cyclic stability, and the capacitance retention was 82% after 5000 cycles. The energy density of an assembled device using MnMC/NF700 composite as positive electrodes can reach 38.8 Wh/kg. This is due to the combined effect of nickel substrate's 3D porous structure and the excellent electronic conductivity of ZIF-derived nanoporous carbon. The unique configuration of MnMC/NF composites may provide a referable design for energy storage systems, including materials that have the highest potential for use as supercapacitor electrodes.     

Preparation and electrochemical characterization of MnOOH nanowire–graphene oxide

MnOOH nanowire–graphene oxide composites are prepared by hydrothermal reaction in distilled water or 5% ammonia aqueous solution at 130 °C with MnO₂–graphene oxide composites which are synthesized by a redox reaction between KMnO₄ and graphene oxide. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and energy dispersive X-ray analyses (EDAX) show MnO₂ is deoxidized to MnOOH on graphene oxide through hydrothermal reaction without any extra reductants. The electrochemical capacitance of MnOOH nanowire–graphene oxide composites prepared in 5% ammonia aqueous solution is 76 F g⁻¹ at current density of 0.1 A g⁻¹. Moreover, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) suggests the electrochemical resistance of MnOOH nanowire–graphene oxide composites is reduced when hydrothermal reaction is conducted in ammonia aqueous solution. The relationship between the electrochemical capacitance and the structure of MnOOH nanowire–graphene oxide composites is characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results indicate the electrochemical performance of MnOOH nanowire–graphene oxide composites strongly depends on their morphology.     

Synthesis and characterization of aerogel-like mesoporous nickel oxide for electrochemical supercapacitors

Highly porous NiO was prepared via a combination of sol-gel process with supercritical drying method in this paper. The as-synthesized NiO samples exhibit 80–90% porosity and high surface area, ie, 180.5–325.6 m²g⁻¹. Cyclic voltammetric and chronopotentiometric measurements indicated the aerogel-like NiO in 1 mol.L⁻¹ KOH solution to behave capacitive well due to its uniform mesoporous microstructure. It was also observed that post-heating temperature plays a critical role in the mesoporous nature of the aerogel-like materials. An optimal heating temperature of 300^∘C was found to favor the formation of mesopores, which account for the large specific capacitance of as high as 125 F.g⁻¹. The average specific capacitance of the aerogel-like NiO was observed to be about 75–125 F.g⁻¹ between a potential window of 0–0.35 V vs. SCE.     

Experimental study of macropore formation in p-type silicon in a fluoride solution and the transition between macropore formation and electropolishing

Anodic dissolution of p-Si is studied in diluted fluoride solution (HF 0.05 M + NH₄F 0.05 M, pH 3), with special focus on the physico-chemical parameters which govern the morphology of pore formation (crystallographic orientation, applied potential, and etching time). The effect of potential has been investigated in the transition region between macropore formation and electropolishing. Upon increasing the anodization potential, the pore cross-section changes from circular to square shape, and the bottom of the pores changes from a rounded to a V-shaped profile. Prolonged etching of the contour of (1 1 0) p-Si disks in the regime of porous silicon formation allows for a comparison of the etching characteristics of the orientations. SEM observation indicates indeed different morphologies as a function of the crystal orientation, and the formation of fractal-like structures is obtained for some orientations. In the same geometry and at a potential just above the onset of the electropolishing regime, prolonged anodization allows for a direct measurement of the Si thickness removed as a function of the crystallographic orientation. We clearly observe the etching anisotropy, with etch depth τ(1 1 1) < τ(1 1 0) < τ(1 0 0). This sequence, similar to that observed for current density in more concentrated HF, differs from that observed for the chemical etching of Si in an alkaline solution.     

Synthesis of ordered nanoporous carbon and its application in Li-ion battery

Ordered nanoporous carbon (ONC) was comprehensively tested for the first time as electrode material in lithium-ion battery. Structure characterization shows the order nanoporous structure and tiny crystallite structure of as-synthesized ONC. The electrochemical properties of this carbon were studied by galvanostatic cycling and cyclic voltammetry. Of special interest is that ONC gave no peak on its positive sweep of the cyclic voltammetry, which was different from other known anode materials. Besides, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and XRD were also used to investigate the electrochemical characteristics of ONC.     

Electrochemical supercapacitor material based on manganese oxide: preparation and characterization

A novel class of electrochemical supercapacitor electrode material has been electrochemically synthesized from a manganese halide complex in water-containing acetonitrile electrolyte at room temperature. This material has been physically and chemically characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS), FT-Raman microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. XPS and FT-Raman characterization suggest that this material is composed of manganese oxide with a chemical composition of Mn₃O₄ and containing a moderate amount of carbon. Cyclic voltammetric characterization indicates that this material has higher electronic conductivity than usually seen for manganese oxide and that it shows fast kinetics for the charge-discharge process in both aqueous and acetonitrile electrolytes. The material provides a large pseudocapacitance over a potential window of about 1 V in aqueous electrolyte and about 2 V in acetonitrile electrolyte. It is therefore a good candidate as a material for an electrochemical supercapacitor electrode.     

One-step electrochemical deposition of nickel sulfide/graphene and its use for supercapacitors

In this current work, the electrochemical co-deposition of nickel sulfide/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide(ERGO) nanocomposites is presented. During the electrochemical process, the graphene oxide nanosheets loose their hydrophilicity and precipitate onto the electrode. In the meantime, nickel sulfide is also electrochemically deposited on the electrode. The porous structure with ERGO covered by nickel sulfide, which facilitates the charge and ion transport in the electrode, has been observed by a scanning electron microscope. The cycle voltammetry curves as well as the galvanostatic charge/discharge curves of the nickel sulfide/ERGO nanocomposites exhibit distinct pseudocapacitive characteristic. The nanocomposites maintain 66.8% of the initial specific capacitance for the first 500 cycles, and only 4.6% loss of the specific capacitance is experienced for the further 1500 cycles, evidently showing a relatively high cycling stability. The results suggest that the nickel sulfide/ERGO is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.