Large-Scale Uniform alpha-Co(OH)(2) Long Nanowire Arrays Grown on Graphite as Pseudocapacitor Electrodes

Large-scale uniform alpha-Co(OH)(2) nanowire arrays (NWAs) with an average length of similar to 20 mu m grown on pyrolytic graphite (PG) were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method at 120 degrees C Ultrasonication test was carried out toward the as made nanoarray products and the result demonstrated their robust adhesion to graphtic substrate. Afte 300,s of sonication testing alpha-Co(OH)(2) NWAs could still possess both integrated one-dimensional (1 D) nanoarray architecture and good electronic connections with current collector. When investigated as electrochemical pseudocapacitor electrodes, alpha-Co(OH)(2) NWAs exhibited good energy-storage performance in terms of high specific capacitance of 642.5 F/g, good rate capability and excellent capacity retention. Our work not only presents a cost-effective and scale-up synthetic-method for alpha-Co(OH)(2) NWAs bu also holds promise in general synthesis of long arrays of other metal hydroxides/oxide (TiO2, Fe2O3,SnO2 etc) nanostructures on PG substrate by using alpha-Co(OH)(2) NWAs as sacrificial templates.