New insight into the electrodeposition of NiCo layered double hydroxide and its capacitive evaluation

Abstract Although the peculiarities of electrodeposition in the preparation of metal hydroxides is quite attractive, adequate interpretation of this process still lacks. Here, a novel interpretation of the electrodeposition of nickel cobalt double layered hydroxides (NiCo-LDHs) is proposed. Different from the traditional strategies implemented in the pure nitrate or nitrate-assisted electrolytic baths, the sulfate solution with thiourea (TU) additive is used. Benefited from the chelating and inducing effects of TU, honeycomb-shaped NiCo-LDH nanosheets can be successfully electrodeposited on nickel foam (NF). When performed as free-standing electrodes, these integrated electrodes show a robust capacitive performance. Specifically, NC2S12-15/NF (deposition for 15 min) electrode can deliver remarkable electrochemical properties, such as large capacity (1198 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), excellent rate performance (1000 F g−1 at 100 A g−1) and good cycling stability. Additionally, the NC2S12-15/NF//activated carbon (AC) hybrid capacitor (HC) can sustain extraordinary cycle life (88.3% retention for 10,000 cycles) and high energy density (29.1 Wh kg−1), further demonstrating the qualified capacitive behavior of NC2S12-15/NF electrode. This work provides a new insight into the electrodeposition of metal LDHs based on the design of the electrolyte solution.