A single electrode comparison of Ni & Cu MOF for supercapacitor applications

Abstract

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based materials can be effectively utilized as supercapacitor electrodes owing to its strong redox activity and large specific surface. This paper presented a detailed comparative analysis of the facile hydrothermally produced nickel and copper MOFs. The advantage of nickel and copper MOFs over other MOFs for energy storage applications is also explored. The comparison explained the high surface area and tunable porosity, exceptional electrical conductivity and electrochemical performance, variable framework, and cost effectiveness of the MOFs. The structural analysis is performed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), whereas the morphology of the MOFs is observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical behavior of MOFs probed by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic Charge–Discharge (GCD) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical testing for CV was executed in the range 10–100 mV/s. The nickel MOF electrode produced a specific capacitance of 411.11 F/g at 1 A/g current density. However, the copper MOF electrode formed a specific capacitance of 348.6 F/g. Moreover, nickel MOF exhibited hybrid supercapacitor properties and copper MOF showed pseudo supercapacitor properties revealed by the b-values.