Electrochemical fabrication of a porous nanostructured nickel hydroxide film electrode with superior pseudocapacitive performance

A porous nickel film is prepared by selectively anodic dissolution of copper from an electrodeposited Ni-Cu alloy film. A porous nanostructured nickel hydroxide film electrode is further fabricated by the cathodic electrodeposition of Ni(OH)(2) film on the obtained porous nickel film. The specific capacitances of the as-prepared porous nanostructured Ni(OH) 2 film electrode at current densities of 2, 5 and 10 A/g are 1634, 1563 and 1512 F/g, respectively. The nanoporous Ni substrate significantly improves the electrochemically cyclic stability of the electrodeposited nickel hydroxide film in 1.0M KOH solution. The superior pseudocapacitive properties such as large specific capacitance, excellent rate capability and improved electrochemically cyclic stability of the as-prepared nickel hydroxide electrode suggest its potential application in electrochemical capacitors. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.