Nanostructured Ni(OH)2/rGO composite chemically deposited on Ni foam for high performance of supercapacitor applications

Present investigation explores the synthesis of nanostructured Ni(OH)2/Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on 3D networked Ni foam by simple and cost-effective chemical deposition method. The RGO added with Ni(OH)2 nanosheet directly deposited on Ni foam instead of growing Ni(OH)2 on rGO sheets. The resultant product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The characterization result illustrates Ni(OH)2ultrathin nanosheets with thickness 6–10 nm formed around rGO. The further electrochemical performance was extrapolated with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) techniques. The maximum specific capacitance exhibited for Ni(OH)2/rGO composite was 1805 Fg−1 at current density 1 Ag−1 2 M KOH electrolyte with 117% capacitance retention. The presence of highly conductive reduced graphene oxide enhances the charge transfer process and facilitates electrolyte diffusion without aggregation of active material. From the result, discussion attributes that Ni(OH)2/rGO composite has better electrochemical performance than pure Ni(OH)2 and which indicates that composite material is a promising candidate for supercapacitor electrode. © 2018