Facile synthesis of CoAl-LDH/MnO2 hierarchical nanocomposites for high-performance supercapacitors

In this work, MnO2/CoAl-layered double hydroxide (CoAl-LDH) nanocomposites were prepared through a simple redox reaction between Co-2 species and MnO4-. The structure and morphology of these nanocomposites were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). CoAl-LDH/MnO2 nanocomposites presented their platelet-like structures with MnO2 nanocrystals decorating the LDH host layer. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties of composites were evaluated by cycle voltammetric (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. Surprisingly, the hierarchical CoAl-LDH/MnO2 composites displayed a high specific capacitance (1088 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1)), high rate capability, and excellent long-term cycling life. In principle, these findings suggested that CoAl LDHs-based nanocomposites could be promising candidates for supercapacitors electrode with enhancive electrochemical behavior. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.