Electrochemical Performance of Nickel-Cobalt Layered Double Hydroxides

Nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxides (Ni-Co LDHs) are a class of two-dimensional anion-intercalated materials in which Ni2+ and Co2+/3+ ions occupy octahedral sites within brucite-like layers. Their unique structure, high density of active sites and intrinsic redox activity confer exceptional pseudocapacitive behaviour. By finely tuning composition, morphology and crystallinity through hydrothermal, co-precipitation or electrodeposition techniques, researchers have achieved specific capacitances often exceeding 1000 F g–1, rapid charge–discharge rates and robust cycling stability. The synergy between nickel and cobalt centres enhances electronic conductivity and redox kinetics, while ultrathin nanosheet architectures and porous composites facilitate ion diffusion. Such advances underpin the development of high-performance supercapacitors and hybrid devices with energy densities rivalrous to batteries and power densities suited to grid stabilisation, portable electronics and electric mobility applications.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have refined scalable synthesis of ultrathin Ni-Co LDH nanosheets with controlled thickness and high porosity, yielding specific capacitances above 1500 F g–1 at moderate current densities and retaining over 75 % capacity at tenfold higher rates. Such ultrathin architectures enhance ion diffusion and electrical conductivity, supporting asymmetric devices with energy densities exceeding 30 Wh kg–1 and power densities above 500 W kg–1. In parallel, electrodeposition of alternating Ni(OH)₂ and Co(OH)₂ layers on conductive substrates has revealed distinct dual-peak redox signatures. The resulting layered films deliver specific capacities near 760 C g–1, exhibit excellent rate performance and underpin hybrid supercapacitors achieving energy densities over 100 Wh kg–1 at low power densities.

Electrochemical Performance of Nickel-Cobalt Layered Double Hydroxides publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical performance of nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxides across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Layered double hydroxide: Two-dimensional, anion-intercalated materials comprising divalent and trivalent metal hydroxide layers offering high surface area and tunable redox properties.

Specific capacitance: Charge storage capacity per unit mass of electrode material, expressed in farads per gram, quantifying pseudocapacitive performance.

Pseudocapacitance: Rapid, reversible faradaic charge-transfer processes at electrode surfaces, contributing to capacitance beyond electrostatic double-layer effects.

Asymmetric supercapacitor: Energy storage device combining electrodes with different charge-storage mechanisms to optimise energy and power densities.

Electrodeposition: Electrochemical method to deposit thin films or nanostructures onto conductive substrates via controlled redox reactions.

References

1. Fabrication of Sandwiched NiCo-Layered Double Hydroxides/Carbon Nanoballs for Sustainable Energy Storage. Polymers (2024).
2. Layered Ni(OH)2-Co(OH)2 films prepared by electrodeposition as charge storage electrodes for hybrid supercapacitors. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. Cobalt‐Nickel Ultrathin Hexagonal Nanosheets for High‐performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors. ChemElectroChem (2023).
4. A simple strategy to prepare a layer-by-layer assembled composite of Ni–Co LDHs on polypyrrole/rGO for a high specific capacitance supercapacitor. RSC Advances (2019).