Ni-based Compounds Research Articles

Ni-based compounds in multiwalled graphitic shell for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reactions

Here, we report a general strategy for designing a metal/carbon system, via a facile and environmentally friendly one-step approach, from metal acetate as an active electrocatalyst in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during water decomposition. As a demonstration, a nanostructured Ni/C composite induced from nickel acetate is revealed in great detail. The resulting material is composed of: metallic nickel (Ni), nickel(II) oxide (NiO), and nickel carbide (Ni3C) coated with a graphitic shell and deposited on a carbon platform. Our findings underscore the prominent role of nickel species, including Ni0, Ni2+, and Ni3+, in driving the catalytic activity. Notably, the catalyst exhibits an overpotential of 170 mV, a Tafel slope of 49 mV·dec−1, an electrocatalytic surface area (ECSA) of 964.7 cm2, and a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 52.8 s−1, surpassing RuO2. The Raman spectra also suggest a graphitic "self-healing" phenomenon post-OER, attributed to the reduction of oxygen-containing groups. Carbon in the system (i) facilitates electron transfer, (ii) allows homogeneous distribution of Ni nanoparticles avoiding their agglomeration, and (iii) promotes durability of the electrocatalyst by serving as a protective barrier, shielding the core metal compounds. What is more, density functional theory (DFT) calculations allowed to optimized geometry of the model cluster Ni8O8(OH)8 describing two different sites on the β-NiOOH surface (001) and two different intermediates, (i)L-OOH and (ii)L-OOH. This facilitated to propose the reaction mechanisms involving both hydroxide ions and water molecules as reducers. Therefore, the chemisorption of OH− and H2O molecules at the NiOOH active center accompanied by bond breakage and the formation of a lattice hydroperoxide as an important intermediate is presumed. What is more, the proposed fabrication method for electroactive metal/carbon composites was validated with an iron and iron/nickel mixture.

Ligand-regulated Ni-based coordination compounds to promote self-reconstruction for improved oxygen evolution reaction

The Ni-based coordination compounds, during oxygen evolution reaction (OER), self-reconstruct to produce NiOOH, which are the real active sites. Thus, encouraging the self-reconstruction of pre-catalysts to generate more NiOOH species...

Low-coordinated surface nickel oxide as electrocatalyst for efficient water oxidation

Ni-based compounds represent promising candidates as high-performance electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. Here, a new Ni oxide electrocatalyst developed via a simple electrodeposition method is reported, exhibiting enhanced catalytic activity for OER. Structural and activity analysis of the fresh and post-reaction samples reveals that the Ni2+ center has low coordination with pyramidal symmetry (NiO5). The bulk metallic Ni readily undergoes oxidation under OER conditions to generate more low-coordinated Ni2+ and high-valence state Ni (Ni3+) species, thereby facilitating the OER reaction. This study provides new insight into the active structure of Ni-based oxide electrocatalysts and offers a simple pathway for the design and development of cost-effective and high-performance electrocatalysts for applications in OER.

Understanding the promotion mechanism of boron during the surface reconstruction of Ni2B nanoflakes for efficient urea electrocatalytic oxidation

Urea assisted electrocatalytic water splitting could simultaneously achieve the purification of urea-rich wastewater and green hydrogen production. Ni-based compounds are regarded as the most efficient electrocatalysts for urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Plenty of previous works are devoted to facilitating the reconstruction process, from which the active sites are generated, but a very significant issue is ignored, i.e. the reason why the activities of Ni-based compounds (e.g., phosphides, borides) far surpass the typical Ni(OH)2 although both are finally reconstructed to Ni (oxy)hydroxides (NiOOH). Here we construct a Ni2B catalyst in contrast to Ni(OH)2. During the surface reconstruction, the B leaching results in the dissolution of B related anions (BO2−) into the electrolyte and the residual B could be doped into the surface NiOOH, which is experimentally imitated by adding the BO2− into the electrolyte during the electrochemical anodic process of Ni(OH)2 and is confirmed to be beneficial. Theoretical calculations further suggest not only the surface B doping but also the inner B species are conductive to reduce the thermodynamic barrier for the rate-limiting step (RDS) of UOR. Our findings offer deep understanding of the roles of nonmetal element for the reconstructed catalyst in the application of efficient UOR.

Stainless steel corrosion under anoxic, highly saline and elevated temperature conditions

Abstract. Several countries consider hosting a deep geological repository for high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in salt rock. In the unexpected case of solution access to the emplacement caverns during the long-term evolution of such a repository, metallic containers will be exposed to highly saline brines. In this study, corrosion experiments under conditions expected to be representative of HLW disposal in salt rock have been performed with stainless steel, a material typically used to construct containers containing vitrified HLW. Experiments were performed in closed vessels under anoxic and highly saline conditions at 90 ∘C. Polished stainless steel coupons were suspended in 5 mol L−1 NaCl or 3.4 mol L−1 MgCl2 at their natural pH. At the end of the experiments (up to 294 d), vessels were cooled down to room temperature, pH and Eh were measured in situ, the ultra-centrifuged contacting brines were analyzed by (HR)ICP-MS (high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and the formed corrosion products were identified. In all corrosion experiments, pHm and Eh hardly changed with exposure time, and the nature of the salt had no significant effect. The overall corrosion rates were low, and the quantities of dissolved metal ions revealed the formation of only sparingly soluble corrosion products. The formation of a passivation layer mostly made of Cr(III) (hydr)oxide was evidenced, but no localized surface attack could be detected. The coupon corroded in 5 mol L−1 NaCl was embedded in resin and cross-cut for further analyses, using synchrotron-based techniques with a small beam footprint (X-Ray fluorescence (μXRF), X-Ray diffraction (μXRD), and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (μXANES)). Element distribution maps revealed the presence of a very thin (<1 µm) layer of corrosion products, with regions enriched either in Cr or in Fe and Ni. X-ray diffractograms identified the presence of spinel-type compounds (Fe3O4 and NiFe2O4) and Cr2O3, which was corroborated by recording μXANES at the Cr, Fe and Ni K-absorption edges. The additional presence of layered double hydroxides in addition to NiO and Ni(OH)2 was also evidenced. Overall, results point to a corrosion layer having a duplex structure, with an inner layer mostly of chromium (hydr)oxides and an outer layer made of Fe- and Ni-based spinel compounds admixed with nickel (hydr)oxides.

Corrosion of austenitic stainless steel at 90 °C under highly saline and anoxic conditions: A microspectroscopic study

The stainless steel AISI 309 S used for containers for vitrified high-level radioactive waste was exposed to 90 °C under highly saline and anoxic conditions for different exposure times up to 294 days. The surface damage was limited and no pitting could be detected. The corrosion layer is made of an inner-layer mostly of chromium (hydr)oxides and an outer-layer made of Fe- and Ni-based spinel compounds with admixed nickel (hydr)oxides. Minor contributions of magnetite and layered double hydroxide could be identified. Dissolved amounts of metal ions were very low, the pH increased only slightly and the redox potential decrease was limited.

Interface engineering of core-shell Ni0.85Se/NiTe electrocatalyst for enhanced oxygen evolution and urea oxidation reactions

The development of highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR) electrocatalysts with abundant resources is necessary for green hydrogen production. Ni-based compounds have received attention as the most promising earth-abundant electrocatalysts for OER and UOR, whereas some compounds in this main group, e.g., nickel selenides and tellurides, have received little attention. Herein, we demonstrate the interfacial engineered Ni0.85Se/NiTe array on Ni foam as a highly efficient catalyst for the OER, which exhibits an overpotential of 200 mV to obtain a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline solutions. Meanwhile, it exhibits a low potential of 1.301 V for the UOR at a current density of 100 mA cm−2. In particular, it even has the potential to be used in methanol oxidation reaction and ethanol oxidation reaction. The vertical NiTe array not only serves as the conductive substrate for highly improving the mass loading of Ni0.85Se, but also triggers the strong electron interaction between two components, leading to increased adsorption sites available for the intermediates formed in the OER and UOR on the Ni0.85Se surface. This study provides a broad avenue to construct hierarchical nanostructures as outstanding electrocatalysts for efficient OER and UOR.

Quantitative Electron-Excited X-ray Microanalysis With Low-Energy L-shell X-ray Peaks Measured With Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry.

Quantification of electron-exited X-ray spectra following the standards-based “k-ratio” (unknown/standard intensity) protocol with corrections for “matrix effects” (electron energy loss and backscattering, X-ray absorption, and secondary X-ray fluorescence) is a well-established method with a record of rigorous testing and extensive experience. Two recent studies by Gopon et al. working in the Fe–Si system and Llovet et al. working in the Ni–Si system have renewed interest in studying the accuracy of measurements made using L-shell X-ray peaks. Both have reported unexpectedly large deviations in analytical accuracy when analyzing intermetallic compounds when using the low photon energy Fe or Ni L-shell X-ray peaks with pure element standards and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. This study confirms those observations on the Ni-based intermetallic compounds using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and extends the study of analysis with low photon energy L-shell peaks to a wide range of elements, Ti to Se. Within this range of elements, anomalies in analytical accuracy have been found for Fe, Co, and Ge in addition to Ni. For these elements, the use of compound standards instead of pure elements usually resulted in significantly improved analytical accuracy. However, compound standards do not always provide satisfactory accuracy as is demonstrated for L-shell peak analysis in the Fe–S system: FeS and FeS2 unexpectedly do not provide good accuracy when used as mutual standards.

Chemical Looping Combustion Related Processes Using Solid Oxygen Carriers Oxidized in CO2 Atmosphere

Abstract Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is an attractive process in CO2 capture, especially when solid oxygen carriers are used in it. The main requirements for oxygen-transporting materials include appropriate oxidation (in air) and reduction (in the presence of fuel) ability. In the paper a conceptual proposition for CLC-related processes with the application of solid oxygen carriers oxidized in both air and CO2 atmosphere has been presented. The possibility of the “looping” process on the same carriers using both CO2 and air atmosphere as an oxidizing agent allows us to enrich the concept of CLC and related processes by proposing a cyclic recirculation of the produced CO2 back to the installation. The oxidizing of solid oxygen carrier in a CO2 atmosphere is accompanied by CO emission from the plant. This toxic gas could be transformed into a useful product in any chemical process. It is possible to combine the looping processes with manufacturing of any appropriate morphological form of carbon in the cyclic CO disproportionation process. The combined process could lead to a lower CO2 emissions to the environment. SrTiO3 doped by Cr (STO:Cr) and a mixture of TiO2- and Ni-based compounds (TiO2-Ni) were investigated as oxygen transporting materials. The experiment methodology based on thermogravimetric, diffraction and spectroscopic studies was shown. Thermogravimetric (TGA) and Powder Diffraction (XRD) measurements were provided in-situ during a few cycles in a reducing (Ar+3 % H2) and oxidizing environment. Moreover, the STO:Cr powders were characterized ex-situ by the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) method. It was found that in tested conditions the cyclic process of the investigated powders’ oxidation and reduction is possible. Satisfactory results considering the oxygen transport capacity was obtained for the TiO2-Ni sample.

Boosting Hydrogen Evolution Reaction of Nickel Sulfides by Introducing Nonmetallic Dopants

Although introducing heteroatoms into Ni-based compounds is an efficient way to promote HER activity, the absence of rational design strategies, especially for nonmetallic dopants, impedes the deve...

Amorphous Li2ZrO3 nanoparticles coating Li[Li0·17Mn0·58Ni0.25]O2 cathode material for enhanced rate and cyclic performance in lithium ion storage

The low-cost and eco-friendly cobalt free Mn–Ni-based layered compounds are attractive as potential cathode materials for high energy lithium ion batteries. To improve the stability of Mn–Ni-based cathode materials during charging/discharging, surface coating may hinder the side reactions on the interphase between active material and electrolyte. In this work, Li[Li0·17Mn0·58Ni0.25]O2 coated by amorphous Li2ZrO3 nanoparticles are synthesized, the coating quantity and morphologies are studied in detail aiming to find out an efficient approach to enhance electrochemical properties. LMO/LZO2 with an appropriate quantity of Li2ZrO3 coating layer delivers capacity of 253 mAh g−1 at the 1st cycle and remains 87% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.1 C-rate, moreover, it delivers highest capacity of 145 mAh g−1 at 5 C-rate. Construction a proper coating layer of Li2ZrO3 not only plays the key role in improving the conductivity and lithium ions diffusion ability through the interphase between active material and electrolyte, but also hinders the dissolution of Mn element of lithium-rich cathode material.

Dynamic Self-Optimization of Hierarchical Porous Ni-Based Compounds As Bi-Functional, Efficient Catalysts for Water Splitting

Developing cost-effective, bi-functional electrocatalysts to efficiently convert intermittent typical renewable energy resources into hydrogen via water splitting is vital for realizing carbon-free energy cycle but remain challenges. Here, we report dynamically self-optimized (DSO) pre-electrocatalyst comprising NiAl framework covering defect-rich Ni crystallites for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. Core@shell Ni@NiO nanoparticles with lattice defects as the catalytically active phases are generated in situ on NiAl framework upon electrochemical DSO-HER, while Ni crystallites on NiAl framework in situ transform into wrinkled jamborite-(Ni(OH)2/NiOOH) hybrid nanosheets with severe lattice distortion that can mediate the OER efficiently upon electrochemical DSO-OER. Under 1 M KOH aqueous electrolyte, the bi-functional DSO catalysts show an overpotential of 200 mV with Tafel slope 39 mV dec-1 and -33 mV with Tafel slope of 42 mV dec-1 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and HER at 10 mA cm-2. When assembled as the cathode and the anode in a single electrolyzer, the resulting Ni-based catalysts can give a superior overall water splitting output. Such a remarkable feature of the catalysts lies in the synergistic effect of the high intrinsic activity arising from the presence of complex lattice defects on the nanostructures of the active phases and the strikingly enhanced catalytic surface area together with the accelerated electron/ion transport associated with the hierarchical multi-porous architecture. The material is seen to dynamically reform into different active interfacial species during DSO-HER and DSO-OER, where the pristine and activated catalysts are analyzed with XRD, SEM, Raman, XPS and TEM. The study shows that Ni-based compounds operate as effective bi-functional catalysts in alkaline water splitting, promising for integration into renewable technologies based electricity in alkaline water electrolyzers for sustainable production of hydrogen.

Photoredox dual reaction for selective alcohol oxidation and hydrogen evolution over nickel surface-modified ZnIn2S4

The photocatalytic coupling reaction can be conducted in one pot to realize the simultaneous utilization of electrons and holes, thereby obtaining value-added fine chemicals and fuels. Herein, we report a binary nickel modified ZnIn2S4 (Ni:ZIS) for highly efficient photocatalytic selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BA) to benzaldehyde (BAD) integrated with hydrogen (H2) evolution, in which Ni can promote photogenerated charge transfer for enhancing photoactivity. Particularly, the products of converting BA to aromatic compounds over blank ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) and Ni:ZIS show a marked difference under the same reaction conditions. Hydrobenzoin (HB) is the primary product over blank ZIS. After the introduction of Ni, the formation of HB is dramatically suppressed, resulting in higher selectivity of BAD, because the introduction of Ni facilitates the α-H abstraction. In addition, an analogous phenomenon has been observed on Ni-based compounds modified ZIS, such as NixP and NiS. It is hoped that this work would provide a feasible paradigm for modifying the surface of photocatalysts to tune the selectivity of product-oriented alcohols oxidation coupled with H2 evolution in water.

Modification of Lattice Structures and Mechanical Properties of Metallic Materials by Energetic Ion Irradiation and Subsequent Thermal Treatments

When materials are irradiated with high-energy ions, their energies are transferred to electrons and atoms in materials, and the lattice structures of the materials are largely changed to metastable or non-thermal equilibrium states, causing the modification of several physical properties. There are two processes for the material modification by ion irradiation; one is “the irradiation-enhanced process”, and the other is “the irradiation-induced process”. In this review, two kinds of recent results for the microstructural changes and the modifications of mechanical properties will be summarized: one is the hardness modification of dilute aluminum alloys, which is a result of the irradiation-enhanced process, and the other is the hardness modification of Ni-based intermetallic compounds as a result of the irradiation-induced process. The effect of the subsequent thermal treatment on the microstructures and the hardness for ion-irradiated dilute aluminum alloys is quite different from that for Ni-based intermetallic compounds. This result reflects the difference between the irradiation-enhanced process and the irradiation-induced process. Finally, possibilities of the ion irradiation and subsequent thermal treatment to industrial applications will also be discussed.

Ni3Se4@MoSe2 Composites for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been considered as one of the most promising electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Many studies have demonstrated the feasibility of significant HER performance improvement of TMDs by constructing composite materials with Ni-based compounds. In this work, we prepared Ni3Se4@MoSe2 composites as electrocatalysts for the HER by growing in situ MoSe2 on the surface of Ni3Se4 nanosheets. Electrochemical measurements revealed that Ni3Se4@MoSe2 nanohybrids are highly active and durable during the HER process, which exhibits a low onset overpotential (145 mV) and Tafel slope (65 mV/dec), resulting in enhanced HER performance compared to pristine MoSe2 nanosheets. The enhanced HER catalytic activity is ascribed to the high surface area of Ni3Se4 nanosheets, which can both efficiently prevent the agglomeration issue of MoSe2 nanosheets and create more catalytic edge sites, hence accelerate electron transfer between MoSe2 and the working electrode in the HER. This approach provides an effective pathway for catalytic enhancement of MoSe2 electrocatalysts and can be applied for other TMD electrocatalysts.

First-principles calculation of the effective on-site Coulomb interaction parameters for Sr2 AB O6(A=Cr,Mn,Fe,Co,Ni , and B=Mo,W) double perovskites

Double perovskites (DPs) are a large family of compounds that exhibit a wide range of properties of both fundamental and potential technological interest. Due to the presence of $3d,4d$, or $5d$ transition metal atoms with narrow ${t}_{2g}$ and ${e}_{g}$ bands in DPs, the correlation effects play an important role for the properties of these materials, leading to diverse physical phenomena, such as colossal magnetoresistance, ferroelectricity, magnetism, and superconductivity. By employing the constrained random-phase approximation within the full-potential linearized augmented-plane-wave method, we have calculated the effective on-site Coulomb interaction parameters between localized $d$ electrons in ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}AB{\mathrm{O}}_{6}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}(A=\mathrm{Cr},\text{Mn},\text{Fe},\text{Co},\text{Ni}$, and $B=\mathrm{Mo},\text{W})$ DPs. We find that the correlated subspace can be defined to contain only the ${e}_{g}$ states in Ni-based compounds, leading to a simple two-band low-energy model, whereas at least an eight-orbital $(d+{t}_{2g})$ model is necessary for the other compounds. Except for Ni, the $U$ values for $A$ sites in Mo (W) based compounds are around 4 eV (4.5 eV), and they are almost independent of the $3d$ electron number, while the $U$ for Mo (W) ${t}_{2g}$ electrons slightly decreases with increasing $3d$ electron number, from 3 to 2.5 eV. Moreover, our calculations reveal that the contribution of the $3d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3d$ channel to the total electronic screening is larger in DPs than the corresponding contribution in elementary transition metals.

Water Splitting Exceeding 17% Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion Efficiency Using Solution-Processed Ni-Based Electrocatalysts and Perovskite/Si Tandem Solar Cell.

Various noble metal-free electrocatalysts have been explored to enhance the overall water splitting efficiency. Ni-based compounds have attracted substantial attention for achieving efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts. Here, we show superior electrocatalysts based on NiFe alloy electroformed by a roll-to-roll process. NiFe (oxy)hydroxide synthesized by an anodization method for the OER catalyst shows an overpotential of 250 mV at 10 mA cm-2, which is dramatically smaller than that of bare NiFe alloy with an overpotential of 380 mV at 10 mA cm-2. Electrodeposited NiMo films for the HER catalyst also exhibit a small overpotential of 100 mV at 10 mA cm-2 compared with that of bare NiFe alloy (550 mV at 10 mA cm-2). A combined spectroscopic and electrochemical analysis reveals a clear relationship between the surface chemistry of NiFe (oxy)hydroxide and the water splitting properties. These outstanding fully solution-processed catalysts facilitate superb overall water splitting properties due to enlarged active surfaces and highly active catalytic properties. We combined a solution-processed monolithic perovskite/Si tandem solar cell with MAPb(I0.85Br0.15)3 for the direct conversion of solar energy into hydrogen energy, leading to the high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 17.52%. Based on the cost-effective solution processes, our photovoltaic-electrocatalysis (PV-EC) system has advantages over latest high-performance solar water splitting systems.

Charge Transfer Band Gap as an Indicator of Hysteresis in Li-Disordered Rock Salt Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries.

Disordered rock salt cathodes showing both anionic and cationic redox are being extensively studied for their very high energy storage capacity.Mn-based disordered rock salt compounds show much higher energy efficiency compared to the Ni-based materials as a result of the different voltage hysteresis, 0.5 and 2 V, respectively. To understand the origin of this difference, we herein report the design of two model compounds, Li1.3Ni0.27Ta0.43O2 and Li1.3Mn0.4Ta0.3O2, and study their charge compensation mechanism through the uptake and removal of Li via an arsenal of analytical techniques. We show that the different voltage hysteresis with Ni or Mn substitution is due to the different reduction potential for anionic redox. We rationalized such a finding by DFT calculations and propose this phenomenon to be nested in the smaller charge transfer band gap of the Ni-based compounds compared to that of the Mn ones. Altogether, these findings provide vital guidelines for designing high-capacity disordered rock salt cathode materials based on anionic redox activity for the next generation of Li ion batteries.

A novel AB4-type RE–Mg–Ni–Al-based hydrogen storage alloy with high power for nickel-metal hydride batteries

La–Mg–Ni-based superlattice structure compounds are believed to be a promising negative electrode material with high power and superior hydrogen storage capacity for nickel-metal hydride batteries. They are built with [AB5] and [A2B4] subunits, stacked along the c axis, with the following two sequences: one of rhombohedral and the other of hexagonal symmetry, called 3R and 2H, respectively. In this paper, we present the synthesis conditions and detailed structural characterization of rhombohedral La0.63Nd0.16Mg0.21Ni3.53Al0.11 with the AB4-type structure. It is demonstrated that the AB4 phase is formed by a peritectic reaction between Pr5Co19-type (2H) phase and one liquid phase in a range of 1000–1010 °C. The compound exhibits a high discharge capacity of 391.2 mAh g−1 and can reach 286.2 mAh g−1 even at a discharge current of 1800 mA g−1. The superior high rate dischargeability performance could be attributed to its preferable charge transfer rate and hydrogen diffusion speed. Furthermore, the cycling life of the AB4 compound is up to 83.3% after 200 cycles. As a result of these desirable electrochemical properties, the AB4-type La–Mg–Ni-based compound with high power is considered to promote applications for high power battery materials.

Synthesizing Ni-based ternary metal compounds for battery-supercapacitor hybrid devices with and without using nickel precursors

Hydrothermal method is widely used for synthesizing Ni-based metal oxides on Ni foam as the battery-type materials. The Ni ions for synthesizing Ni-based metal oxides can be obtained from the Ni precursor and the Ni foam, but the effect for the Ni ion source on the physical and electrochemical properties of the Ni-based metal oxides are still not clear. This work investigates the effects of the Ni precursor in the hydrothermal solution for synthesizing Ni-based metal oxides on morphology of metal oxides and electrocapacitive performances of the battery-type electrodes. The same sort of the Ni-based ternary metal oxides synthesized with and without adding Ni precursor in hydrothermal solution present very different morphologies and electrocapacitive features, indicating the different amounts and sources of Ni ions play important roles on the growth of the Ni-based metal oxides. The battery-supercapacitor hybrid device composed of the nickel cobalt molybdenum oxide electrode prepared with Ni precursor and the nickel cobalt copper oxide electrode prepared without Ni precursor respectively show areal capacitances of 126.2 and 917.3 mF/cm2 corresponding to the area capacities of 63.1 and 382.2 mAh/cm2, voltage windows of 1.8 and 1.5 V, as well as the maximum energy density of 21.9 Wh/kg at power density of 3.45 W/kg and the maximum energy density of 0.70 Wh/kg at power density of 13.38 W/kg. This work clarifies the function of Ni foam and Ni precursor in the hydrothermal solution for synthesizing Ni-based metal oxides and provide novel synthesizing concept to design efficient materials for energy storage devices.