Construction of nanowall-supported-nanorod nico ldh array electrode with high mass-loading on carbon cloth for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Effect of synthesis temperature on the structural morphology of a metal-organic framework and the capacitor performance of derived cobalt-nickel layered double hydroxides

Three-dimensional interconnected nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxides (NiCo-LDHs) were prepared on nickel foam by ion exchange using a cobalt-based metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) as a template at different temperatures. The effects of the Co-MOF preparation temperature on the growth, mass, morphology, and electrochemical properties of the Co-MOF and derived NiCo-LDH samples were studied. The synthesis temperature from 30 to 50 °C gradually increased the mass of the active material and the thickness of the Co-MOF sheets grown on the nickel foam. The higher the temperature is, the larger the proportion of Co3+. β-Cobalt hydroxide (β-Co(OH)2) sheets were generated above 60 °C. The morphology and mass loading pattern of the derived flocculent layer clusters of NiCo-LDH were inherited from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The areal capacitance of NiCo-LDH shows an inverted U-shaped curve trend with increasing temperature. The electrode material synthesized at 50 °C had a tremendous specific capacitance of 7631 mF·cm-2 at a current density of 2 mA·cm-2. The asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with the sample and active carbon (AC) achieved an energy density of 55.0 Wh·kg-1 at a power density of 800.0 W·kg-1, demonstrating the great potential of the NiCo-LDH material for energy storage. This work presents a new strategy for designing and fabricating advanced green supercapacitor materials with large power and energy densities.

MOF-Mediated Construction of NiCoMn-LDH Nanoflakes Assembled Co(OH)F Nanorods for Improved Supercapacitive Performance

The application of transition metal hydroxides has long been plagued by its poor conductivity and stability as well as severe aggregation tendency. In this paper, a novel hierarchical core-shell architecture, using an F-doped Co(OH)2 nanorod array (Co(OH)F) as the core and Mn/Ni co-doped Co(OH)2 nanosheets (NiCoMn-LDH) as the shell, was constructed via an MOF-mediated in situ generation method. The obtained Co(OH)F@ NiCoMn-LDH composites exhibited excellent supercapacitive performance with large specific capacitance as well as improved rate capability and long-term stability. The effect of the Ni/Mn ratio on the supercapacitive performance and energy storage kinetics was systematically investigated and the related mechanism was revealed.

MXene-Based Current Collectors for Advanced Rechargeable Batteries

As an indispensable component of rechargeable batteries, the current collector plays a crucial role in supporting the electrode materials and collecting the accumulated electrical energy. However, some key issues, like uneven resources, high weight percentage, electrolytic corrosion, and high-voltage instability, cannot meet the growing need for rechargeable batteries. In recent years, MXene-based current collectors have achieved considerable achievements due to its unique structure, large surface area, and high conductivity. The related research has increased significantly. Nonetheless, a comprehensive review of this area is seldom. Herein the applications and progress of MXene in current collector are systematically summarized and discussed. Meanwhile, some challenges and future directions are presented.

Precise design and in situ synthesis of hollow Co9S8@CoNi-LDH heterostructure for high-performance supercapacitors

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and metal sulfides (MSs) have been widely used as promising electrode materials for supercapacitors, and the rational architectural design of MS/LDH heterogeneous structures is critical to optimize large energy storage. Herein, a precisely designed hollow Co9S8 nanotubes@CoNi-LDH nanosheet heterostructure on Ni foam, facilely prepared by an ingenious in situ strategy in this Co9S8 nanoarray was first used as the self-sacrificing template and metal source to in situ synthesize Co-ZIF-67 polyhedron to form the Co9S8@ZIF-67 heterostructure, and then Co9S8@ZIF-67 was in situ etched successfully using Ni2+ ions to form the final Co9S8@CoNi-LDH/NF core-shell nanoarray. This in situ synthetic strategy to fabricate the heterostructure is conducive to boosting the structural stability, modifying the electric structure and regulating the interfacial charge transfer. Due to the synergistic effect and tight heterogeneous interface, Co9S8@CoNi-LDH/NF displayed an outstanding capacitance of 9.65 F cm-2 at a current density of 2 mA cm-2 and excellent capacitance retention rate of 91.7% after 5000 cycles. In addition, the ASC device assembled with AC has an extremely high energy density of 1.0 mW h cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2 and maintains 96.9% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. This work provides a skillful strategy for the precise design and in situ synthesis of MS/LDH heterostructures with fascinating features for electrochemical energy storage applications.

A 3D stacked corrugated pore structure composed of CoNiO2 and polyaniline within the tracheids of wood-derived carbon for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

A novel 3D stacked corrugated pore structure of polyaniline (PANI)/CoNiO₂@activated wood-derived carbon (AWC) has been successfully constructed to prepare high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors. AWC functions as a supporting framework that provides ample attachment sites for the loaded active materials. The CoNiO₂ nanowire substrate, consisting of 3D stacked pores, not only serves as a template for subsequent PANI loading, but also acts as an effective buffer to mitigate the volume expansion of the PANI during ionic intercalation. The distinctive corrugated pore structure of PANI/CoNiO₂@AWC facilitates electrolyte contact and significantly enhances the electrode material properties. The PANI/CoNiO₂@AWC composite materials exhibit excellent performance (14.31F cm^-2 at 5 mA cm^-2) and superior capacitance retention (80% from 5 to 30 mA cm^-2), owing to the synergistic effect among their components. Finally, PANI/CoNiO₂@ AWC//reduced graphene oxide (rGO)@AWC asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled, which has a wide operating voltage (0 ∼ 1.8 V), high energy density (4.95 mWh cm^-3 at 26.44 mW cm^-3) and cycling stability (90.96% after 7000 cycles).

Flexible aqueous supercapacitors with excellent cycling performance and high-energy density based on mesocrystalline NiCo-LDHs

Flexible aqueous supercapacitors are promising candidates as safe power sources for wearable electronic devices (WEDs). However, the absence of advanced electrode materials with high structural stability has become the most critical factor hindering the development, which is closely related to the poor interface combination between the active substances and flexible collectors. Herein, a unique rigid layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanorod array with the mesocrystalline feature is created using the NiO-Ni layer as the inducer by the electrodeposition strategy. Differing from the traditional NiCo-LDH nanosheets directly grown on a carbon cloth, an elaborately designed NiO-Ni buffer can simultaneously and effectively improve the bidirectional combination with active substances and collectors, also the mesocrystalline LDH showed enhanced intrinsic stability through the reinforcing effect of grain boundaries. Benefiting from these, the assembled supercapacitor exhibited pre-eminent cycle stability (increased from 64% of the initial capacity after 10 000 cycles to no significant attenuation after 50 000 cycles) and ultrahigh energy density. When it was used as a flexible device, a remarkable energy density of 70.4 W h kg^-1 could be harvested and processed with high flexibility in the bending state and good temperature adaptability. This study provides an excellent design strategy for the development of next-generation flexible supercapacitors with the goal of better comprehensive performances.

Graphene dispersant-assisted in situ growth of Re-doped MoS2 nanosheets on carbon cloth and their performance for hydrogen evolution reaction

Uniform distribution of electrochemically active transition metal compounds on carbon cloth can effective improve their hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, however, harsh chemical treatment of carbon substrates is always unavoidable during this process. Herein, a hydrogen protonated polyamino perylene bisimide (HAPBI) was used as interface active agent for the in situ growth of rhenium (Re) doped MoS₂ nanosheets on carbon cloth (Re-MoS₂/CC). HAPBI contains a large conjugated core and multiple cationic groups and has been shown to be an effective graphene dispersant. It endowed the carbon cloth excellent hydrophilicity through simple noncovalent functionalization and, meanwhile, provided sufficient active sites to anchor MoO₄^2- and ReO₄^- via electrostatic interaction. Uniform and stable Re-MoS₂/CC composites were facilely obtained by immersing carbon cloth in HAPBI solution followed by hydrothermal treatment in the precursor solution. The doping of Re induced the formation of 1 T phase MoS₂, which reached about 40% in the mixture with 2H phase MoS₂. Electrochemical measurements showed an overpotential of 183 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 in 0.5 mol L^-1 H₂SO₄ when the molar ratio of Re to Mo is 1:100. This strategy can be further extended to construct other electrocatalysts that using graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc. as conductive additives.

Magneto-Electrodeposition of 3D Cross-Linked NiCo-LDH for Flexible High-Performance Supercapacitors

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with outstanding redox activity on flexible current collectors can serve as ideal cathode materials for flexible hybrid supercapacitors in wearable energy storage devices. Electrodeposition is a facile, time-saving, and economical technique to fabricate LDHs. The limited loading mass induced by insufficient mass transport and finite exposure of active sites, however, greatly hinders the improvement of areal capacity. Herein, magneto-electrodeposition (MED) under high magnetic fields up to 9 T is developed to fabricate NiCo-LDH on flexible carbon cloth (CC) as well as Ti₃ C₂ T_x functionalized CC. Owing to the magneto-hydrodynamic effect induced by magnetic-electric field coupling, the loading mass and exposure of active sites are significantly increased. Moreover, a 3D cross-linked nest-like microstructure is constructed. The MED-derived NiCo-LDH delivers an ultrahigh areal capacity of 3.12 C cm^-2 at 1 mA cm^-2 and as-fabricated flexible hybrid supercapacitors show an excellent energy density with an outstanding cycling stability. This work provides a novel route to improve electrochemical performances of layered materials through MED technique.

Regulating the core/shell electric structure of Co3O4@Ni-Co layered double hydroxide on Ni foam through electrodeposition for a quasi-solid-state supercapacitor

A flower-like structured electrode material of Co₃O₄@Ni-Co layered double hydroxide (LDH) grown on Ni foam (Co₃O₄@Ni-Co LDH/NF) was prepared via anin situgrowth, annealing and electrodeposition process. The Co₃O₄@Ni-Co LDH/NF electrode was prepared with the optimized conditions of annealing temperature 300 °C, deposition time 20 min and Ni/Co ratio 1:1. The results showed that the as-prepared electrode material exhibited an excellent specific capacitance and great cycling stability. Furthermore, an quasi-solid-state supercapacitor was assembled using the prepared Co₃O₄@Ni-Co LDH/NF as the positive electrode and activated carbon on Ni foam (AC/NF) as the negative electrode. The as-assembled device presented a high energy density and power density.