Pseudocapacitive Performance of Binder-Free Nickel Hydroxide Electrode Prepared by Layer-by-Layer Chemical Deposition on Nickel Foam

Among different active materials, nickel hydroxide is one of the most promising pseudocapacitive materials; however, its electrochemical performance is notably restricted because of its low conductivity and weak stability. To overcome these drawbacks, several solutions were suggested including making it composite with electrically conductive materials such as metal particles, various carbon materials, and conductive polymers. In addition, removing the insulating polymer binder used in the electrode prepration can reduce the internal resistance of the electrode, thus leading to improvement in its energy storage performance. In this research, a novel, facile, and efficient approach was developed to prepare a binder-free nickel hydroxide electrode, which includes the layer-by-layer chemical deposition of nickel hydroxide nanoparticles with β-phase structure on the nickel foam. The structural characterization and surface morphology of the as-prepared electrode was investigated using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Further, the energy storage performance of the prepared supercapacitor electrode was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques. The prepared electrode showed a specific capacitance of 767 F g-1 at the discharge current density of 1 A g-1 and cyclic stability of 91.4 % after 1000 cycles.