Hollow polyhedron structure of amorphous Ni-Co-S/Co(OH)2 for high performance supercapacitors

In power storage technology, ion exchange is widely used to modify the electronic structures of electrode materials to stimulate their electrochemical properties. Here, we proposed a multistep ion exchange (cation exchange and anion exchange) strategy to synthesize amorphous Ni-Co-S and β-Co(OH)2 hybrid nanomaterials with a hollow polyhedron structures. The synergistic effects of different components and the remarkable superiorities of hollow structure endow Ni-Co-S/Co(OH)2 electrode with outstanding electrochemical performance, including ultra-high specific capacity (1440.0 C/g at 1 A/g), superior capacitance retention rate (79.1% retention at 20 A/g) and long operating lifespan (81.4% retention after 5000 cycles). Moreover, the corresponding hybrid supercapacitor enjoys a high energy density of 58.4 Wh/kg at the power density of 0.8 kW/kg, and a decent cyclability that the capacitances are maintained at 80.8% compared with the initial capacitance. This research presents a high-performance electrode material and provides a promising route for the construction of electrode materials for supercapacitors with both structural and component advantages.