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Microwave rapid synthesis of nickel cobalt sulfides/CNTs composites as superior cycling ability electrode materials for supercapacitors

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Abstract

Nickel cobalt sulfides (NCS) have been regarded as potential candidate electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors owing to the attractive theoretical capacitance. However, traditional synthesis (i.e., hydrothermal) of NCS is both time-consuming and energy demanding, which restricts NCS large-scale practical applications. Herein, a green and effective microwave liquid synthesis followed by a simple post-annealing process was employed to anchor NCS nanoparticles on multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) forming NCS/CNTs-H composites. The NCS/CNTs-H composites hold significantly enhanced electrochemical performance is due to the combination of high redox activity of NCS anchored on superior conductivity of CNTs, which can serve as an effective carrier for NCS and decrease the aggregation of NCS nanoparticles. The optimized NCS/CNTs-H composites display high capacitance of 1261 F g−1 (175 mA h g−1) at 1 A g−1, with a remarkable rate capability, i.e., 84.4% retention from 1 to 50 A g−1. Besides, the assembled hybrid supercapacitor of NCS/CNTs-H//AC could deliver a high energy density (58.4 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 400 W kg−1) and remarkable long-term cycling stability (85.4% capacitance retention after 50 000 charge/discharge cycles). Such impressive electrochemical results indicate NCS/CNTs-H composites could be promising electrode materials for practical supercapacitor applications.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Shenzhen Basic Research Program (Nos.JCYJ20190808141611189, JCYJ20170818100134570, and JCYJ20160422091418366) and Basic and Applied Research Fund of Guangdong Province (2020A1515011018). We are grateful to Instrumental Analysis Center of Shenzhen University (Xili Campus) for the help of SEM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials & Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Advance Technology of Ceramics, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People’s Republic of China

    Jizhao Zou, Dong Xie, Fenglin Zhao, Hongliang Wu, Yuan Niu, Zhangjian Li, Qiumin Zou & Xierong Zeng

  2. Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People’s Republic of China

    Fenglin Zhao & Xierong Zeng

  3. Government Invest & Develop Projects Evaluation Center, Development and Reform Bureau, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China

    Fei Deng

  4. BCMaterials, Basque Centre for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, Leioa, Spain

    Qi Zhang

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  1. Jizhao Zou
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  2. Dong Xie
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  3. Fenglin Zhao
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  5. Yuan Niu
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  9. Qi Zhang
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  10. Xierong Zeng
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Correspondence to Fenglin Zhao.

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Zou, J., Xie, D., Zhao, F. et al. Microwave rapid synthesis of nickel cobalt sulfides/CNTs composites as superior cycling ability electrode materials for supercapacitors. J Mater Sci 56, 1561–1576 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-05257-3

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