Correlation between the mesoporous carbon sphere with Ni(OH)2 nanoparticle contents for high-performance supercapacitor electrode

Abstract

Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles were decorated on mesoporous carbon spheres (MPCS) using a simple hard template method. The MPCS were derived from sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. As-prepared MPCS/Ni(OH)2 nanocomposites were used as electrode materials for supercapacitors. These composites exhibited better electrochemical properties than a pristine mesoporous carbon sphere owing to the synergistic effect. However, the increase in Ni(OH)2 is not proportional to the electrochemical performance improvement. The addition of an optimal amount of Ni(OH)2, typically 1:20 by weight (MPCS:NiCl2·6H2O), showed an excellent specific capacitance of 1338.296 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1. These encouraging results indicate excellent potential for the development of highly capacitive energy storage devices for practical applications.