Electrochemical fabrication of a porous nanostructured nickel hydroxide film electrode with superior pseudocapacitive performance

A porous nickel film is prepared by selectively anodic dissolution of copper from an electrodeposited Ni–Cu alloy film. A porous nanostructured nickel hydroxide film electrode is further fabricated by the cathodic electrodeposition of Ni(OH)2 film on the obtained porous nickel film. The specific capacitances of the as-prepared porous nanostructured Ni(OH)2 film electrode at current densities of 2, 5 and 10 A/g are 1634, 1563 and 1512 F/g, respectively. The nanoporous Ni substrate significantly improves the electrochemically cyclic stability of the electrodeposited nickel hydroxide film in 1.0 M KOH solution. The superior pseudocapacitive properties such as large specific capacitance, excellent rate capability and improved electrochemically cyclic stability of the as-prepared nickel hydroxide electrode suggest its potential application in electrochemical capacitors.

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► A porous nanostructured nickel hydroxide electrode is fabricated by a novel electrochemical method.
► The as-prepared nanostructured nickel hydroxide electrode shows superior electrochemical performance.
► The present promising method may be extended to fabrication of other nanostructured transition metal hydroxide/oxide electrodes.