Boosting activity of Ni(OH)2 toward alkaline energy storage by Co and Mn co-substitution

Ni-based hydroxides nanomaterials are widely used in alkaline storage devices. Under the guidance of density functional theory calculations and experimental investigations, here, (Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1)(OH)2 is designed and prepared on CuO nanowire arrays, demonstrating Co and Mn co-substitution resulted in enhanced capacity and stability of Ni(OH)2. The enhanced performance is mainly thanks to the low deprotonation energy and the facile electron transport, which results from the synergistic interactions among Ni, Co and Mn. Ni-Zn battery and alkaline hybrid supercapacitor with (Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1)(OH)2 (8.4 mg cm−2) as positive electrode can achieve infusive energy density of 605.2 and 270.1 Wh kg−1, respectively. The finding lay a foundation for further the design and fabrication of high-performance Ni-based nanomaterials for alkaline energy storage.