Rational design of binder-free ZnCo2O4 and Fe2O3 decorated porous 3D Ni as high-performance electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitor

Abstract The development of hierarchical, porous film based current collector has created huge interest in the area of energy storage, sensor, and electrocatalysis due to its higher surface area, good electrical conductivity and increased electrode-electrolyte interface. Here, we report a novel method to prepare a hierarchically ramified nanostructured porous thin film as a current collector by dynamic hydrogen bubble template electro-deposition method. At a first time, we report a porous 3D-Ni decorated with ZnCo2O4 and Fe2O3 by simple, low-cost electrochemical deposition method. The fabricated porous 3D-Ni based electrodes showed an excellent electrochemical property such as high specific capacitance, excellent rate capability, and good cycle stability. The asymmetric solid-state supercapacitor device was fabricated using porous, 3D Ni decorated with ZnCo2O4 and Fe2O3 as the positive and negative electrodes. The fabricated ZnCo2O4//Fe2O3 asymmetric device delivered an areal capacitance of 92 mF cm−2 at a current density of 0.5 mA cm−2 with a maximum areal power density of 3 W cm−2 and areal energy density of 28.8 mWh cm−2. The higher performances of porous, 3D current collector have a huge potential in the development of high performance supercapacitor.