NiCo2S4 nanosheets decorated on nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanospheres as advanced electrodes for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Taking advantage of both Faradaic and carbonaceous materials is an efficient way to synthesize composite electrodes with enhanced performance for supercapacitors. In this study, NiCo2S4 nanoflakes were grown on the surface of nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanospheres (NHCSs), forming a NiCo2S4/NHCS composite with a core-shell structure. This three-dimensionally confined growth of NiCo2S4 can effectively inhibit its aggregation and facilitate mass transport and charge transfer. Accordingly, the NiCo2S4/NHCS composite exhibited high cycling stability with only 9.2% capacitance fading after 10 000 cycles, outstanding specific capacitance of 902 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), and it retained 90.6% of the capacitance at 20 A g(-1). Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor composed of NiCo2S4/NHCS and activated carbon electrodes delivered remarkable energy density (31.25 Wh kg(-1) at 750 W kg(-1)), excellent power density (15003 W kg(-1) at 21.88 Wh kg(-1)), and satisfactory cycling stability (13.4% capacitance fading after 5000 cycles). The outstanding overall performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of the NiCo2S4 shell and NHSC core, which endows the composite with a stable structure, high electrical conductivity, abundant active reaction sites, and short ion-transport pathways. The synthesized NiCo2S4/NHCS composite is a competitive candidate for the electrodes of high-performance supercapacitors.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the synthesis of a NiCo2S4/NHCS composite with a core-shell structure by growing NiCo2S4 nanoflakes on the surface of nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanospheres. The composite exhibits high cycling stability, outstanding specific capacitance, and maintains a high capacitance at high currents. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor composed of this composite delivers remarkable energy density, excellent power density, and satisfactory cycling stability. The superior performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of the NiCo2S4 shell and NHSC core.