Self-assembling Ni(OH)2/α-Fe2O3 composites for pseudocapacitors with excellent electrochemical performance

Abstract

Novel two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured Ni(OH)2 nanosheet/α-Fe2O3 nanoplate composites (NFCs) were successfully synthesized by a simple two-step solvothermal method where the proportion of α-Fe2O3 nanoplates was found to be controllable. These composites achieved excellent performance in aqueous electrolyte due to the synergistic effect between Ni(OH)2 nanosheets and α-Fe2O3 nanoplates, such as high specific capacitance and long-term cycle stability. The obtained NFC8 possessed a maximum mass specific capacitance of 1745.33F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1, and with 84.28% retention after 3000 cycles galvanostatic charge/discharge at a high current density of 20 A g−1. The above results show that these novel 2D nanostructured Ni(OH)2/α-Fe2O3 composites are promising electrode materials for pseudocapacitors.