Cobalt-Based Metal-Organic Framework Electrodeposited on Nickel Foam as a Binder-Free Electrode for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Cobalt-based metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) has been in-situ grown on nickel foam (NF) by cathodic electrodeposition using highly active cobalt surface modifier to enable uniform nucleation and tight growth of Co-MOF. The macroscopic (NF) and microscopic structures (rodlike crystals) construct a hierarchical structure with good conductivity, providing sufficient electroactive sites and highways of electrolyte diffusion and electron transfer. When used as a binder-free electrode (Co-MOF/NF) for supercapacitors, it shows improved electrochemical performances with a high areal specific capacitance of 1536 mF cm −2 at 1 mA cm −2 , excellent rate capability and good cycle stability, which confirms that the Co-MOF/NF has potential applications in energy storage and conversion fields