Egg shell membrane template stabilises formation of β-NiMoO4 nanowires and enhances hybrid supercapacitor behaviour

Adding an eggshell membrane (ESM) template to the solution combustion synthesis of NiMoO4 resulted in the formation of β -NiMoO4 under mild conditions. It is postulated that the unique nature of the ESM template results in interactions that stabilise this difficult to synthesise form of NiMoO4. The ESM template led to β -NiMoO4 particles that were nano-wire like in shape and arranged in an open weave structure that significantly enhanced the mesoporosity and conductance of the material. The specific capacitance was measured as 259 F g−1 in a two electrode system with an energy density of 252.2 W h kg−1. The results indicate that the use of a fibrous like natural polymeric material as a template stabilises materials in preferred crystal forms and shapes leading to much improved electrochemical performance.