Structural and electrochemical properties of Cu doped NiCo2O4 prepared by microwave hydrothermal method

Abstract

A series of NiCuxCo2-xO4 with x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 samples were synthesized using microwave hydrothermal method (MH). The structural, microstructural, and spectroscopic characterizations were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). All the samples are in Cubic phase with space group Fd3m. The samples x ≥ 0.08 shows some impurity phases. The average grain size for all the samples is in the range of 30–55 nm. The specific capacitance (Csp) 250.66 Fg−1, energy density (E) 22.22 Whkg−1 and power density (P) 757.80 Wkg−1 was observed for x = 0.06 with a mass loading of 7 mgcm−2 and in 2 M aqueous KOH electrolyte solution at a current density of 1 Ag−1. Therefore, the Cu doping with x = 0.06 shows good redox activities and hence can be used in electric batteries and supercapacitors.