NANOSTRUCTURED Ni-Cu FOAM ELECTRODEPOSITED ON A COPPER SUBSTRATE APPLIED AS SUPERCAPACITOR ELECTRODE

Abstract

The applicability of nickel-copper metallic foams as a current collector was investigated for supercapacitor. A comprehensive characterization of Ni-Cu based foam was studied and the analysis of their structural, chemical, and electrochemical properties was evaluated. Structural characteristics and electrochemical methods were used to examine the surface morphology, and surface-chemical composition of the materials. The foams deposited at the time deposition of 180s exhibited dual-porosities (macro and mesopores) with pores ranging from13 to16 μm and the branch size ranged from 25 to 50 nm. Ni-Cu foam electrodes are employed as current collector for supercapacitor. Their usefulness as current collector was evaluated by well-defined experimental conditions using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge and discharge (GCD) techniques. The outcome of these experiments demonstrated that the Ni-Cu foams which was synthesized at the time deposition of 180s had pseudocapacitive behavior. The best value for specific capacitance which was calculated from GCD was (536 F/g at 1 mA/cm2) for the Ni-Cu foams deposited at 2 A/cm2 for 180 s. The Ni-Cu foam sustained a current density of 15 mA/cm2 after 2000 cycles without significant loss of supercapacitor activity.