Interstratified hybrids of α-hydroxides of nickel and cobalt as supercapacitor electrode materials

•Layers of α-hydroxides of Ni and Co co-stacked from an aqueous colloidal dispersion.•The solids obtained on co-stacking are interstratified hybrids of the α-hydroxides.•The hybrids are built by a random stacking of the layers of the two hydroxides.•The hybrids are potential supercapacitor electrode materials.•The hybrid with 80% nickel hydroxide shows the highest capacitance of 990 F g−1.

Zwitterionic p-aminobenzoate ion intercalated α-hydroxides of nickel and cobalt exfoliate in water. The hydroxide monolayers of nickel and cobalt could be co-stacked from a mixture of their colloidal dispersions by the addition of excess of nitrate ions resulting in hybrids in which the layers of the two hydroxides were randomly co-stacked. The α-hydroxide hybrids were explored for their potential as supercapacitor electrode materials. The specific capacitance of hybrids vary with [Ni]/[Co] ratio and a maximum capacitance of 990 F g−1 (at a current density of 1 A g−1) with good cycling stability was obtained for the hybrid with [Ni]/[Co] = 4.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide