NiCo-compounds inside and outside N-doped carbon nanotubes to construct a double-enhanced hierarchical structure for high energy density supercapacitors

Abstract

Attaining a high energy density that aligns with practical application requirements is a crucial indicator in the advancement of supercapacitors. In this paper, a hybrid hierarchical electrode structure of N-doped carbon nanotube (NCNT) spheres encapsulated with NiCo-Se nanoparticles (NPs) and coated with nickel–cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) multilayer nanosheets was successfully synthesized on a nickel foam (NF) substrate. The self-supporting strategy enables nickel–cobalt Prussian blue analogues (Ni–Co PBAs) to be directly attached to the NF surface, which results in fluffy NCNTs with a high length–diameter ratio and considerable yield and greatly enhances the conductivity of the electrode material. The synergistic interaction between the dual transition metal compounds inside and outside the NCNTs enables the hybrid electrode material to achieve an impressive specific capacity of 1899 F g⁻¹ (211.0 mA h g⁻¹) at 1 A g⁻¹. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) exhibits an excellent energy density of 57.6 W h kg⁻¹ at a power density of 798 W kg⁻¹. This study not only provides an attractive strategy for obtaining CNTs with excellent properties from Ni–Co PBA and synthesizing hybrid electrodes with efficient synergistic effects, but also achieves a high energy density that aligns with the practical application demands of supercapacitors.