Synthesis of heterogeneous NiO nanoparticles for high-performance electrochemical supercapacitor application

Abstract

Heterostructure nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route. Structural, optical, and microstructural information were investigated using XRD, UV–vis, FT-IR, FT-Raman, SEM, HR-TEM, and XPS. The X-ray diffraction and HR-TEM analysis shows that the average size of the synthesized NiO is to be 12 nm. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic results revealed oxidation state and elemental composition of NiO. Electrochemical examination of NiO showed attractive performance with high specific capacitance of 1358 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 in 3 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Moreover, the results showed superior energy density of 138 W Kg−1 and power density of 1041 Wh Kg−1. The NiO-modified electrode showed high capacitive execution with high specific capacitance and excellent cycle life. The attractive electrochemical result is attributed to the heterostructure morphology and good adherence of the NiO nanoparticle on the substrates, which reduce the particle diffusion length and significantly encourage the charge movement both at the contact interfaces and inside the anode materials during the electrochemical cycle.