NiFe2O4 nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide for supercapacitor electrodes with improved capacitance

Spinel transition metal oxides are regarded as one of the finest pseudocapacitive materials, while unexpected stability hinders their practical application. For addressing such issue, herein, we use a simple hydrothermal method to grow NiFe2O4 nanoparticles on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The rGO nanosheets in the hybrid can be used as a conductive substrate to accelerate the movement of electrons and ions, and they can also inhibit the aggregation of NiFe2O4. As the electrochemically active materials, the NiFe2O4 nanoparticles can reduce the self-stacking of rGO as well as increase the pseudocapacitance. The rGO-NiFe2O4 hybrid delivers improved specific capacitance of 215.7 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1), and exhibits superior cycle stability with no obvious capacity loss after 10000 cycles. Our work demonstrates a method for effectively improving the electrochemical performance of NiFe2O4, and accelerating the commercialization of transition metal oxides as electrode materials for supercapacitors.