Electrospinning synthesis of NiCo2O4 embedded N-doped carbon for high-performance supercapacitors

• NiCo 2 O 4 was embedded in N-doped by simple electrospinning synthesis and thermal treatment. • NiCo 2 O 4 @NC electrode has a high specific capacitance and good cycling stability. • NiCo 2 O 4 @NC composite is used as cell electrode and exhibits high specific energy. Transition metal oxides play an important role in energy storage. However, their wide applications suffer from low conductivity and poor stability. In this study, a NiCo 2 O 4 embedded N-doped carbon (NC) composite (NiCo 2 O 4 @NC) was synthesized using a novel strategy that combines electrospinning and thermal treatment. NC provides an excellent microenvironment for the Faradic reaction of NiCo 2 O 4 , while NiCo 2 O 4 endows an ultrahigh specific capacitance to the composite. The obtained NiCo 2 O 4 @NC electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance of 2000.6 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 . Furthermore, an asymmetric cell based on NiCo 2 O 4 @NC shown excellent energy storage capability, exhibiting a high specific energy of 61.2 Wh kg −1 at 548.6 W kg −1 . The superior electrochemical performance of the cell is attributed to the material properties of the components and the unique heterostructure of the composite. The results demonstrate that NiCo 2 O 4 @NC is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.