Uniform β-Co(OH)2 disc-like nanostructures prepared by low-temperature electrochemical rout as an electrode material for supercapacitors

Uniform nanostructures of cobalt hydroxide were successfully prepared by a low-temperature electrochemical method via galvanostatically deposition from a 0.005 M Co(NO3)(3) bath at 10 degrees C. The XRD and FT-IR analyses showed that the prepared sample has a single crystalline hexagonal phase of the brucite-like Co(OH)(2). Morphological characterization by SEM and TEM revealed that the prepared beta-Co(OH)(2) was composed of uniform compact disc-like nanostructures with diameters of 40-50 nm. The electrochemical performance of the prepared beta-Co(OH)(2) was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge tests. A maximum specific capacitance of 736.5 F g(-1) was obtained in aqueous 1 M KOH with the potential range of -0.2-0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) at the scan rate of 10 mV s(-1), suggesting the potential application of the prepared nanostructures as an electrode material in electrochemical supercapacitors. The results of this work showed that the low-temperature cathodic electrodeposition method can be recognized as a new and facile route for the synthesis of cobalt hydroxide nanodiscs as a promising candidate for the electrochemical supercapacitors. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.