Facile Synthesis of Hierarchical Mesoporous Honeycomb-like NiO for Aqueous Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical nanostructures have been demonstrated as one of the most ideal electrode materials in energy storage systems due to the synergistic combination of the advantages of both nanostructures and microstructures. In this study, the honeycomb-like mesoporous NiO microspheres as promising cathode materials for supercapacitors have been achieved using a hydrothermal reaction, followed by an annealing process. The electrochemical tests demonstrate the highest specific capacitance of 1250 F g^–1 at 1 A g^–1. Even at 5 A g^–1, a specific capacitance of 945 F g^–1 with 88.4% retention after 3500 cycles was obtained. In addition, the 3D porous graphene (reduced graphene oxide, rGO) has been prepared as an anode material for supercapacitors, which displays a good capacitance performance of 302 F g^–1 at 1 A g^–1. An asymmetric supercapacitor has been successfully fabricated based on the honeycomb-like NiO and rGO. The asymmetric supercapacitor achieves a remarkable performance with a specific capacitance of 74.4 F g^–1, an energy density of 23.25 Wh kg^–1, and a power density of 9.3 kW kg^–1, which is able to light up a light-emitting diode