Mesoporous ZnCo₂O₄ nanoflakes grown on nickel foam as electrodes for high performance supercapacitors

ZnCo2O4 nanoflakes, as electrodes for supercapacitors, are grown on a cellular nickel foam using a cost-effective hydrothermal procedure. The mesoporous ZnCo2O4 nanoflakes have large electroactive surface areas with strong adhesion to the Ni foam, allowing fast ion and electron transport. The nanoarchitecture electrodes deliver an excellent specific capacitance of 1220 F g(-1) at a current density of 2 A g(-1) in a 2 M KOH aqueous solution and a long-term cyclic stability of 94.2% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. The fabrication strategy is facile, cost-effective, and can offer great promise for large-scale supercapacitor applications.