Template synthesis and characterization of nanostructured hierarchical mesoporous ribbon-like NiO as high performance electrode material for supercapacitor

•Ribbon-like NiO was prepared by using mesoporous carbon as a hard template.•Typical ribbon-like NiO possesses the hierarchical mesoporous nanostructure.•High specific capacitance of 1260 F g−1 is obtained at a current density of 1 A g−1.•Excellent electrochemical stability of 95% after 5000 charge–discharge cycles.

In this paper, nanostructured hierarchical mesoporous ribbon-like NiO was synthesized by a hard-template method combining the calcination process. Nickel sulfate hexahydrate, guanidine hydrochloride and mesoporous carbon were used as nickel precursors, precipitant of weak base and template, respectively. The resultant NiO samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption and desorption, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical performances were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), cyclic chronopotentiometry (CP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 6 M KOH solution. The typical hierarchical mesoporous ribbon-like NiO shows a good electrochemical performance: a high specific capacitance of 1260 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, 748 F g−1 at high current density of 20 A g−1 and 95% capacity retention at a current density of 10 A g−1 in a testing range of 5000 cycles.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideThe ribbon-like NiO was synthesized by a hard-template method combining the calcination, using mesoporous carbon as a hard templat and guanidine hydrochloride as precipitant of weak base, respectively. The nanostructured hierarchical mesoporous ribbon-like NiO exhibits the high specific capacitance of 1260 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1, and 95% capacity retention at a current density of 10 A g−1 in a testing range of 5000 cycles.