Innovative hydrothermal synthesis of NiAl LDHs and their enhanced electrochemical performance via graphene oxide composites

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have emerged as potential candidates for supercapacitor electrode materials due to their excellent physicochemical properties. In this study, pure NiAl LDHs and NiAl LDHs/graphene oxide (GO) composites with single-layer GO were successfully prepared via the hydrothermal method. A systematic comparison of their physicochemical properties and electrochemical performances was conducted. The layered structure and composite effect of the materials were confirmed by XRD, XPS, and SEM characterizations. Electrochemical tests revealed that under the condition of a molar ratio of nickel to aluminum raw materials of 3: 2, the pure NiAl LDHs material exhibits the best electrochemical performance. For the NiAl LDHs/GO₂₅ composite material, after introducing 25 mL of 0.5 mg mL⁻¹ GO at a current density of 1 A·g⁻¹, the specific capacitance of the NiAl LDHs/GO₂₅ composite material reaches 2209 F g⁻¹, which is a 12.6 % increase compared with that of the pure NiAl LDHs (1962 F g⁻¹). The enhanced performance of the NiAl LDHs/GO₂₅ composite was attributed to the improved electrical conductivity and optimized structural stability provided by GO. This study provides experimental evidence and new strategies for the design of high-performance and low-cost supercapacitor electrode materials.