To reduce the charge-transfer resistance of supercapacitors and achieve faster reversible redox reactions, ternary Ni-Co-Fe layered double hydroxide was prepared by using the urea method and then calcined to give NiCoFe oxide (NiCoFeO). To enhance conductivity, a polyaniline (PANI) conductive layer was assembled on the surface of the NiCoFeO particles by in situ oxidative polymerization of aniline monomers. The as-prepared NiCoFeO/PANI composite was successful employed as a supercapacitor electrode. It was found that the NiCoFeO/PANI composite displayed good cycling stability, with a capacity loss of only 29.54 % after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, the NiCoFeO/PANI composite also exhibited excellent supercapacitor performance, with a high specific capacity of 843 F g-1 at a current density of 2 A g-1 , whereas NiCoFeO showed a specific capacity of only 478 F g-1 . This result was attributed to the synergistic effect between NiCoFeO and PANI. The facile synthesis strategy and excellent electrochemical performance suggest that NiCoFeO/PANI is a promising economical electrode material for applications in supercapacitors.
Keywords: layered compounds; polyaniline; supercapacitors; transition metals.
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