Hierarchical Porous NiCo2O4 Microboxes Constructed by Low-Dimensional Substructures for Electrochemical Supercapacitor

The design and synthesis of new materials/structures for high-performance electrochemical capacitors (ECs) is an ongoing challenge. Herein, a hierarchical porous NiCo₂O₄ microbox superstructure made of low-dimensional substructures was reported. The as-prepared NiCo₂O₄ microboxes are constructed by 2D nanosheets building units, which are futher woven by 0D nanoparticles and 1D nanowires. Such microbox superstructures combine the merits of all material dimensions in electrochemical capacitors, such as high porosity, sufficient active sites, and fast mass and charge transport. Benefiting from the structural advantages, the resultant NiCo₂O₄ microbox electrode exhibits ultra-high capacitor performance, i.e., the initial capacitance of 1820 F · g^–1 and 96.6 % capacitance retention after 4000 cycles at 5 A · g^–1.     

Hierarchical NiCo2O4 Hollow Microcuboids as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Overall Water‐Splitting

Bifunctional electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolyte may improve the efficiency of overall water splitting. Nickel cobaltite (NiCo₂O₄) has been considered a promising electrode material for the OER. However, NiCo₂O₄ that can be used as an electrocatalyst in HER has not been studied yet. Herein, we report self‐assembled hierarchical NiCo₂O₄ hollow microcuboids for overall water splitting including both the HER and OER reactions. The NiCo₂O₄ electrode shows excellent activity toward overall water splitting, with 10 mA cm^?2 water‐splitting current reached by applying just 1.65 V and 20 mA cm^?2 by applying just 1.74 V across the two electrodes. The synthesis of NiCo₂O₄ microflowers confirms the importance of structural features for high‐performance overall water splitting.     

Heterostructural NiCo2O4 Nanocomposites for Nonenzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Sensing

Hierarchical nanocomposites consisting of NiCo₂O₄ nanorods and NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles through a straightforward two-step hydrothermal process was employed as a working electrode to examine the electrochemical behavior of glucose. The NiCo₂O₄@NiCo₂O₄ heterostructures was confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemistry analysis. Results indicated that glucose is electrochemically oxidized with improved sensitivity at the NiCo₂O₄@NiCo₂O₄ sensor, compared to NiCo₂O₄ sensors. Analytical parameters such as the optimal potential (0.45 V), linear range from 0.4 μM to 5.2 mM, limit of detection (1.1 μΜ) (S/N=3), stability and repeatability (2.7 %) demonstrate the suitability of the prepared sensor for glucose analysis. Moreover, the proposed sensor could be used for actual samples analysis in complex matrices.     

泡沫镍负载的NiCo2O4纳米线阵列电极的超级电容性能

采用无模板自然生长法制备了泡沫镍支撑的NiCo₂O₄纳米线阵列电极, 利用扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)观测了纳米线的表面形貌, 利用X射线衍射(XRD)分析了纳米线的结构, 通过循环伏安、恒流充放电和交流阻抗测试了电极的超级电容性能. 结果表明: NiCo₂O₄纳米线直径约为500-1000 nm、长度约为10 μm, 垂直且密集地生长在泡沫镍骨架上. 纳米线阵列电极的放电比容量高达741 F·g^-1, 循环420次后比容量仍保持在655 F·g^-1, 电化学阻抗测试其电荷传递电阻仅为0.33 Ω, 420次循环后电荷传递电阻仅增加0.06 Ω.     

Ultrafast Electrochemical Capacitors with Carbon Related Materials as Electrodes for AC Line Filtering

High-frequency responsive electrochemical capacitors (ECs), which can directly convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), are getting more essential for the rapid development of electronic devices. In order to satisfy the requirements of ECs with fast rate capability and appreciable capacitance density, numerous efforts have been made towards the preparation and design of the electrode material, which is a decisive factor in the performance of ECs. Carbon-related electrode materials have been widely shown to significantly increase the performance of ECs because of their light weight, high strength, and high processability. In this concept, the latest advances in the rational design and controllable fabrication of carbon-related electrode materials, including planar 2D materials, random 3D, and vertical carbon materials are summarized. Moreover, the state of the art of carbon-based ECs is discussed from the viewpoint of the structure of the electrode and performance of ECs. Finally, this concept presents integrated perspectives on the further design and preparation of carbon related ECs.     

Porous NiCo2O4 Nanowire Arrays as Supercapacitor Electrode Materials with Extremely High Cycling Stability

In this work, NiCo₂O₄(NCO) was synthesized via microwave hydrothermal method and a further annea- ling treatment. Research results have shown that the surface defects(Co²⁺ site) and pore size of the materials can be adjusted by simply changing the calcination temperatures, and porous nanowire arrays structure can be obtained. The porous structure is conducive to the penetration of the electrolyte and enables the NCO to fully participate in the electrochemical reaction. What's more, the NCO material has ample space to buffer the volume change in the cycle test, improving the cycling stability. The NCO obtained at 350℃ has better performance. It exhibits a specific capacitance of 648.69 F/g at 1 A/g and good rate capability. Especially, at 10 A/g, the specific capacitance can still be maintained at 80.00% after 10000 galvanostatic charge/discharge(GCD) cycles, showing excellent cycling stability.     

Facile Green Synthesis of NiO/NiCo2O4 Nanocomposite as an Efficient Electrochemical Platform for Determination of Dopamine

The synthesis of NiO/NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles by an eco-friendly, fast, simple and cost-effective approach employing Urtica extract is reported in this study. The NiO/NiCo₂O₄ nanocomposite were characterized using VSM, FTIR, XRD, and SEM techniques. Moreover, to construct a modified carbon paste electrode, NiO/NiCo₂O₄ were employed and this sensor was used for dopamine (DA) detection. Using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques, the electrochemical behavior of dopamine at the NiO/NiCo₂O₄/CPE was investigated. Analysis of dopamine, with a limit of detection (LOD) equal to 0.04 μM, in the concentration range of 0.1–100.0 μM, was facilitated by NiO/NiCo₂O₄/CPE. Moreover, the satisfactory selectivity for DA determination in the presence of uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA), was obtained. The suggested new sensor displayed a good reproducibility, sensitivity, and stability for determination of DA in drug and biological samples.     

NiCo_2O_4@C纳米复合材料的水热合成及电化学储锂性能

采用一步水热法合成了棒状NiCo_2O_4前驱体,并通过调节水热反应过程中碳源(葡萄糖)的加入量以及后续热处理条件(气氛、温度)得到了一系列不同的NiCo_2O_4及NiCo_2O_4@C产物,并对这些产物的结构、形貌及电化学储锂性能进行了测试.结果表明,适当的葡萄糖加入量(0.5 g)配合合理的煅烧条件(400℃,氮气气氛)可以获得倍率性能和循环稳定性兼具的NiCo_2O_4@C纳米复合材料.在100 m A/g的电流密度下,该材料的首次充/放电比容量为634.1/767.2 m A·h/g,对应的库仑效率为82.7%,5周后的放电比容量为650.1 m A·h/g,容量保持率为84.74%,且在300 m A/g的高电流密度下可逆比容量仍可保持在225.9m A·h/g.     

以泡沫镍载NiCo2O4纳米线阵列为阴极催化剂的Al-H2O2半燃料电池

研究了以泡沫镍载NiCo2O4纳米线阵列为阴极催化剂的Al-H2O2半燃料电池的性能. 以无模板生长法制备了泡沫镍载NiCo2O4纳米线阵列阴极材料, SEM测定结果表明, NiCo2O4纳米线几乎垂直于泡沫镍载体表面生长. 以电压和功率密度-电流密度曲线研究了H2O2浓度、电解液流速和温度对电池性能的影响, 结果显示, 以铝片为阳极, 0.6 mol/L H2O2为氧化剂的电池的开路电压约为1.40 V; 在室温和57 ℃下, 电流密度为98和172 mA/cm2时, 最大功率密度分别达到79和120 mW/cm2.  在5000 s的测试时间内, 0.70 V的恒电流密度和75 mA/cm2 的恒电压值几乎为一常数, 这表明以泡沫镍载NiCo2O4纳米线阵列为催化剂电还原H2O2具有很好的活性、稳定性和传质性能.     

NiCo2O4/MXene Hybrid as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Reaction

For the advancement of electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies, bifunctional electrocatalysts are crucial for efficiently driving both the oxygen evolution (OER) and reduction reactions (ORR). Cobalt-based spinel oxides are a class of promising bifunctional electrocatalysts. However their low electrical conductivity and stability may hinder further improvement. A novel composite material composed of NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles integrated with emerging two dimensional MXene nanosheets (NiCo₂O₄/MXene) was developed. The successful integration of NiCo₂O₄ with MXene brings about a number of attractive structural features. This includes synergistic effects between NiCo₂O₄ and MXene, highly accessible surface areas, complete exposure of numerous active sites, and excellent electronic conductivity, all of which collectively contribute to the desirability of composite material for OER and ORR. The synthesized NiCo₂O₄/MXene composite showed extraordinary OER electrocatalytic activity with a lower overpotential of 360 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm², and a small Tafel slope of 64 mV/dec compared to NiCo₂O₄, MXene and NiCo₂O₄+MXene (physically mixed). Additionally, NiCo₂O₄/MXene displays an ORR limiting current density of −4 mA/cm² and exhibited highest onset potential and half wave potential of 0.92 V and 0.72 V vs. RHE, respectively, for the ORR in alkaline media compared to NiCo₂O₄, MXene and NiCo₂O₄+MXene (physically mixed).     

NiCo2O4 纳米线对H2O2电还原的催化性能

以无模板生长法制备了泡沫镍载NiCo2O4纳米线正极材料, XRD和SEM表征结果表明, 所得材料为NiCo2O4纳米线, 以循环伏安法和计时电流法研究了泡沫镍载NiCo2O4纳米线对H2O2电还原的催化性能. 结果显示, 在0.4 mol/L H2O2 和 3.0 mol/L NaOH 溶液中, 当电压为-0.4 V(vs. Ag/AgCl)时, 循环伏安的电流密度达到125 mA/cm2; 当电压为-0.2, -0.3和 -0.4 V 时, 在30 min 的测试时间内, 计时电流密度几乎均为一常数, 表明以泡沫镍载NiCo2O4纳米线为催化剂电还原H2O2具有很高的活性和很好的稳定性.     

A Microwave Synthesis of Mesoporous NiCo2O4 Nanosheets as Electrode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors

A facile microwave method was employed to synthesize NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets as electrode materials for lithium‐ion batteries and supercapacitors. The structure and morphology of the materials were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller methods. Owing to the porous nanosheet structure, the NiCo₂O₄ electrodes exhibited a high reversible capacity of 891 mA h g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1, good rate capability and stable cycling performance. When used as electrode materials for supercapacitors, NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets demonstrated a specific capacitance of 400 F g^?1 at a current density of 20 A g^?1 and superior cycling stability over 5000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance could be ascribed to the thin porous structure of the nanosheets, which provides a high specific surface area to increase the electrode–electrolyte contact area and facilitate rapid ion transport.     

基于NiCo2O4纳米片电极的非对称混合电容器

The looming global energy crisis and ever-increasing energy demands have catalyzed the development of renewable energy storage systems. In this regard, supercapacitors (SCs) have attracted widespread attention because of their advantageous attributes such as high power density, excellent cycle stability, and environmental friendliness. However, SCs exhibit low energy density and it is important to optimize electrode materials to improve the overall performance of these devices. Among the various electrode materials available, spinel nickel cobaltate (NiCo₂O₄) is particularly interesting because of its excellent theoretical capacitance. Based on the understanding that the performances of the electrode materials strongly depend on their morphologies and structures, in this study, we successfully synthesized NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets on Ni foam via a simple hydrothermal route followed by calcination. The structures and morphologies of the as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and the results showed that they were uniformly distributed on the Ni foam support. The surface chemical states of the elements in the samples were identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-synthesized NiCo₂O₄ products were then tested as cathode materials for supercapacitors in a traditional three-electrode system. The electrochemical performances of the NiCo₂O₄ electrode materials were studied and the area capacitance was found to be 1.26 C·cm^-2 at a current density of 1 mA·cm^-2. Furthermore, outstanding cycling stability with 97.6% retention of the initial discharge capacitance after 10000 cycles and excellent rate performance (67.5% capacitance retention with the current density from 1 to 14 mA·cm^-2) were achieved. It was found that the Ni foam supporting the NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets increased the conductivity of the electrode materials. However, it is worth noting that the contribution of nickel foam to the areal capacitance of the electrode materials was almost zero during the charge and discharge processes. To further investigate the practical application of the as-synthesized NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets-based electrode, a device was assembled with the as-prepared samples as the positive electrode and active carbon (AC) as the negative electrode. The assembled supercapacitor showed energy densities of 0.14 and 0.09 Wh·cm^-3 at 1.56 and 4.5 W·cm^-3, respectively. Furthermore, it was able to maintain 95% of its initial specific capacitance after 10000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance of the NiCo₂O₄ nanosheets could be ascribed to their unique spatial structure composed of interconnected ultrathin nanosheets, which facilitated electron transportation and ion penetration, suggesting their potential applications as electrode materials for high performance supercapacitors. The present synthetic route can be extended to other ternary transition metal oxides/sulfides for future energy storage devices and systems.     

MOF‐Derived Spinel NiCo2O4 Hollow Nanocages for the Construction of Non‐enzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Sensor

Non‐enzymatic glucose sensor is greatly expected to take over its enzymatic counterpart in the future. In this paper, we reported on a facile strategy to construct a non‐enzymatic glucose sensor by use of NiCo₂O₄ hollow nanocages (NiCo₂O₄ HNCs) as catalyst, which was derived from Co‐based zeolite imidazole frame (ZIF‐67). The NiCo₂O₄ HNCs modified glassy carbon electrode (NiCo₂O₄ HNCs/GCE), the key component of the glucose sensor, showed highly electrochemical catalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose in alkaline media. As a result, the proposed non‐enzymatic glucose sensor afforded excellent analytical performances assessed with the aid of cyclic voltammetry and amperometry (i–t). A wide linear range spanning from 0.18 μΜ to 5.1 mM was achieved at the NiCo₂O₄ HNCs/GCE with a high sensitivity of 1306 μA mM^?1 cm^?2 and a fast response time of 1 s. The calculated limit of detection (LOD) of the sensor was as low as 27 nM (S/N=3). Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the non‐enzymatic glucose sensor showed considerable anti‐interference ability and excellent stability. The practical application of the sensor was also evaluated by determination of glucose levels in real serum samples.     

Controllable Synthesis of Fe-Doped NiCo2O4 Nanobelts as Superior Catalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

As one of the promising clean and renewable technologies, water splitting has been a hot topic, especially the half-reaction of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to its sluggish and complex kinetics. Hence, Fe-doped NiCo₂O₄ nanobelts were designed and prepared as catalysts toward OER. By increasing the Fe amount, the catalytic performances of the as-synthesized products went up and then decreased. Profiting from the synergistic effect between Fe atom and NiCo₂O₄, all the Fe-NiCo₂O₄ catalysts exhibited superior catalytic activities to the corresponding NiCo₂O₄. In addition, the characteristic nanobelt architecture facilitates the conduction of electrons and the exposure of active sites. With the optimal Fe content, the 9.1 % Fe-NiCo₂O₄ yielded the smallest overpotential and Tafel slope among the catalysts, distinctly lower than that of RuO₂.     

Electrospun Hierarchical CaCo2O4 Nanofibers with Excellent Lithium Storage Properties

Hierarchical CaCo₂O₄ nanofibers (denoted as CCO‐NFs) with a unique hierarchical structure have been prepared by a facile electrospinning method and subsequent calcination in air. The as‐prepared CCO‐NFs are composed of well‐defined ultrathin nanoplates that arrange themselves in an oriented manner to form one‐dimensional (1D) hierarchical structures. The controllable formation process and possible formation mechanism are also discussed. Moreover, as a demonstration of the functional properties of such hierarchical architecture, the 1D hierarchical CCO‐NFs were investigated as materials for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) anode; they not only delivers a high reversible capacity of 650 mAh g^?1 at a current of 100 mA g^?1 and with 99.6 % capacity retention over 60 cycles, but they also show excellent rate capability with respect to counterpart nanoplates‐in‐nanofibers and nanoplates. The high specific surface areas as well as the unique feature of hierarchical structures are probably responsible for the enhanced electrochemical performance. Considering their facile preparation and good lithium storage properties, 1D hierarchical CCO‐NFs will hold promise in practical LIBs.     

用尖晶石型化合物NiCo2O4和复合镀技术制备析氧电极

为减少析氧电位、提高电极的稳定性、降低能耗和成本，人们一直在努力合成各种过渡金属复合氧化物作为析氧的电催化材料［１］．研究表明，尖晶石型化合物ＮｉＣｏ２Ｏ４对氧的析出有较高的催化活性［２］．但因其制备方法多为喷涂热解法，需４００℃以上温度，因此易发生...     

Cauliflower‐like NiCo2O4−Zn/Al Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposite as an Efficient Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Selective Pyridoxine Detection

In the present study, a cauliflower‐like NiCo₂O₄?Zn/Al layered double hydroxide (NiCo₂O₄?Zn/Al LDH) nanocomposite was used as a novel electrode material for the sensitive and selective determination of pyridoxine (vitamin B₆). The structure and morphology of the as‐prepared nanocomposite were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), FT‐IR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). The NiCo₂O₄?Zn/Al LDH nanocomposite exhibited excellent electrocatalytic ability in the oxidation of pyridoxine, which could result from the synergistic effect of the two components. The developed sensor also provided a selective determination of pyridoxine in the presence of other species such as vitamins (B₁, B₂, B₁₂ and ascorbic acid), inorganic ions and biomolecules. The fabricated sensor showed a good linear response for pyridoxine over the concentration ranges 2×10^?7–2.0×10^?4 mol L^?1 with a low detection limit of 8.6×10^?8 mol L^?1. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of pyridoxine in commercial tablets and plasma samples with satisfactory results. Furthermore, this novel sensor displayed superior benefits in terms of stability, sensitivity, repeatability and cost. The present work aims to expand NiCo₂O₄ based nanocomposites to sensor fields and promote the development of pyridoxine sensors.