Ultrathin Ni_1-xCo_xS₂ nanoflakes as high energy density electrode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors

Transition metal compounds such as nickel cobalt sulfides (Ni-Co-S) are promising electrode materials for energy storage devices such as supercapacitors owing to their high electrochemical performance and good electrical conductivity. Developing ultrathin nanostructured materials is critical to achieving high electrochemical performance, because they possess rich active sites for electrochemical reactions, shortening the transport path of ions in the electrolyte during the charge/discharge processes. This paper describes the synthesis of ultrathin (around 10 nm) flower-like Ni_1-xCo_xS₂ nanoflakes by using templated NiCo oxides. The as-prepared Ni_1-xCo_xS₂ material retained the morphology of the initial NiCo oxide material and exhibited a much improved electrochemical performance. The Ni_1-xCo_xS₂ electrode material exhibited a maximum specific capacity of 1066.8 F·g^-1 (533.4 C·g^-1) at 0.5 A·g^-1 and a capacity retention of 63.4% at 20 A·g^-1 in an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC). The ASC showed a superior energy density of 100.5 Wh·kg^-1 (at a power density of 1.5 kW·kg^-1), an ultrahigh power density of 30 kW·kg^-1 (at an energy density of 67.5 Wh·kg^-1) and excellent cycling stability. This approach can be a low-cost way to mass-produce high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors.