Synthesis of Nickel-Nickel oxide foam by electrochemical method and its application in supercapacitor

This paper investigates the applicability of nickel-nickel oxide metallic foams as a current collector for supercapacitor. A simple galvanic displacement reaction was employed to fabricate dendritic Cu dealloyed nanoporous Ni-NiO foam. A comprehensive characterization of foams are presented and includes the analysis of their structural, chemical, and electrochemical properties. The process is studied under well-defined experimental conditions using XRD, SEM, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge and discharge (GCD). XRD results confirm the presence of nickel and nickel oxide phases. Also, in the SEM test, porosities were observed in the range of micro and dendrites in the nanoscale. The outcome of these experiments demonstrates that the Ni-NiO foam has a higher specific capacitance. The best specific capacitance for Ni-NiO foam was calculated 924 F/g at 1A/g. Ni-NiO foam maintains 81.8% of its specific capacitance at a current density of 20 A/g and after 3000 cycles. The created foam electrode can be used as a current collector for the deposition of subsequent layers and is a candidate for use in supercapacitors.