Realizing battery-like energy density with asymmetric supercapacitors achieved by using highly conductive three-dimensional graphene current collectors

Abstract

We report a three-dimensional graphene network decorated with nickel nanoparticles as a current collector to achieve outstanding performance in Ni(OH)(2)-based supercapacitors with excellent energy density. A cost-efficient and single-step fabrication method creates nickel-particle decorated three-dimensional graphene networks (Ni-GNs) with an excellent electrical conductivity of 107 S m(-1) and a surface area of 16.4 m(2) g(-1) that are superior to those of carbon alternatives and commercial 3D-Ni foam, respectively. The supercapacitor in which Ni(OH)(2) active materials are deposited on Ni-GNs exhibited an outstanding capacitance value of 3179 F g(-1) at 10 A g(-1) in a three-electrode system and 90% of capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles. Furthermore, it showed an outstanding energy density of 197.5 W h kg(-1) at a power density of 815.5 W kg(-1) when tested in a two-electrode system. To the best of our knowledge, our device realized the world record value of energy density with a high rate capability and good cycle stability among Ni(OH) 2-based supercapacitors. The excellent electrical properties of easily synthesized Ni-GNs as the ideal current collector clearly suggest a straightforward way to achieve great performance supercapacitors with both high energy density and power density. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2017