Coaxial Ni_<i>x</i>Co_2<i>x</i>(OH)_6<i>x</i>/TiN Nanotube Arrays as Supercapacitor Electrodes

Abstract

NixCo2x(OH)6x, as a precursor of intensively studied NiCo2O4, has been directly deposited into self-standing titanium nitride nanotube array (TiN NTA) grid monolithic supports to form a coaxial nanostructured electrode for supercapacitors. With TiN NTA substrates providing a large surface area, fast electron transport, and enhanced structure stability, this NixCo2x(OH)6x/TiN electrode exhibits superior pseudocapacitive performance with a high specific capacitance of 2543 F g(-1) at 5 mV s(-1), remarkable rate performance of 660 F g(-1) even at 500 mV s(-1), and promising cycle performance (about 6.25% capacitance loss for 5000 cycles). Interestingly, the NixCo2x(OH)6x/TiN NTA electrode outperforms the NiCo2O4/TiN NTA electrode, indicating that this self-standing NixCo2x(OH)6x/TiN NTA monolith is a promising candidate for high-performance supercapacitor applications.