Transition metal hydroxides and graphene composite holds great promise to be the next generation of high performance electrode material for energy storage applications. Here we fabricate the cypress leaf-like Cu(OH)2 nanostructure/graphene nanosheets composite through one-step in situ synthesis process, employed as a new type of electrode material for high efficiency electrochemical energy storage in supercapacitors. A solution-based two-electrode system is applied to synthesize Cu(OH)2/graphene hybrid nanostructure, where anodic graphene nanosheets firmly anchor cathodic Cu(OH)2 nanostructure due to the electrostatic interaction. The in situ self-assembly of Cu(OH)2/graphene ensures good structural robustness and the cypress leaf-like Cu(OH)2 nanostructure prompt to form the open and porous morphology. The hybrid structure would facilitate charge transport and effectively mitigate the volume changes during long-term charging/discharging cycles. As a consequence, the Cu(OH)2/graphene composite exhibits the highest capacitance of 317 mF/cm2 at the current density of 1 mA/cm2 and superior cyclic stability with no capacitance decay over 20,000 cycles and remarkable rate capability at increased current densities.
Keywords: Cypress leaf-like Cu(OH)2 nanostructure; graphene nanosheets; outstanding cycling performance.