Three-dimensional nanoporous nickel foil derived from commercial nickel foil: self-supporting electrode and high-efficiency current collector for MnO2-based supercapacitors
摘要
A three-dimensional nanoporous nickel foil (3D-NPF) is directly transformed from commercial nickel foil through a gaseous oxidation–reduction strategy. The as-prepared NPF is used as a self-supported electrode for supercapacitors. The inherent nanoporous architectures of 3D-NPF constructs a continuous conductive network, thereby facilitating efficient charge transport and mass transfer during the electrochemical reaction process. In a 1 M KOH electrolyte at a scan rate of 2 mV s⁻1, its areal specific capacitance reached 465 mF cm⁻2, which is 46 times that of the untreated nickel foil (NF) electrode. Such a nanoporous structure is well-suited for the high-loading of MnO₂ active species. When it is employed as a current collector, a composite electrode was fabricated by electrochemical deposition of MnO2 on the 3D-NPF surface (3D-NPF/MnO2). The optimal 3D-NPF/MnO2 electrode exhibited a mass-specific capacitance of up to 1304 F g⁻1 at a scan rate of 2 mV s⁻1, with a capacitance retention rate of 98% after 10,000 cycles. This performance significantly outperforms composite electrodes composed of NF and MnO2, as well as the majority of reported MnO2-based electrodes.