Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene on Ni foam for high-performance supercapacitors

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nitrogen-doped graphene deposited on nickel foam was prepared via a simple hydrothermal process using urea as the reducing agent and nitrogen source and was directly applied as a binder-free supercapacitor electrode. The N content was 5.01 at. %. The electrochemical test of the prepared N-doped graphene showed ideal and reversible capacitive behaviour and excellent electrochemical performance, with a high specific capacitance of 223 F g−1 at 0.29 A g−1, a high-rate capability with the specific capacitances maintained at 184 F g−1 at a high rate of 35.7 A g−1, and good cycling stability with the specific capacitance of the N-doped graphene increased to 206 F g−1 after 3000 cycles. The results suggest its promising application as an electrode material for supercapacitor.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Scherson DA, Palencsár A (2006) Batteries and electrochemical capacitors. Electrochem Soc Interfac 15:17–22

    Google Scholar 

  2. Miller JR, Burke AF (2008) Electrochemical capacitors: challenges and opportunities for real-world applications. Electrochem Soc Interfac 17:53–57

    Google Scholar 

  3. Miller JR, Simon P (2008) Electrochemical capacitors for energy management. Science 321:651–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Simon P, Gogotsi Y (2008) Materials for electrochemical capacitors. Nat Mater 7:845–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang G, Zhang L, Zhang J (2012) A review of electrode materials for electrochemical supercapacitors. Chem Soc Rev 41:797–828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Liu C, Yu Z, Neff D, Zhamu A, Jang BZ (2010) Graphene-based supercapacitor with an ultrahigh energy density. Nano Lett 10:4863–4868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Gogotsi Y, Simon P (2011) True performance metrics in electrochemical energy storage. Science 334:917–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Stoller MD, Park S, Zhu Y, An J, Ruoff RS (2008) Graphene-based ultracapacitors. Nano Lett 8:3498–3502

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Weiss NO, Zhou H, Liao L, Liu Y, Jiang S, Huang Y, Duan X (2012) Graphene: an emerging electronic material. Adv Mater 24:5782–5825

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Huang Y, Liang J, Chen Y (2012) An overview of the applications of graphene-based materials in supercapacitors. Small 8:1805–1834

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Yang X, Cheng C, Wang Y, Qiu L, Li D (2013) Liquid-mediated dense integration of graphene materials for compact capacitive energy storage. Science 341:534–537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Mahmood N, Zhang C, Yin H, Hou Y (2014) Graphene-based nanocomposites for energy storage and conversion in lithium batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells. J Mater Chem A 2:15–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wen Z, Wang X, Mao S, Bo Z, Kim H, Cui S, Lu G, Feng X, Chen J (2012) Crumpled nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets with ultrahigh pore volume for high-performance supercapacitor. Adv Mater 24:5610–5616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Hulicova-Jurcakova D, Kodama M, Shiraishi S, Hatori H, Zhu ZH, Lu GQ (2009) Nitrogen-enriched nonporous carbon electrodes with extraordinary supercapacitance. Adv Funct Mater 19:1800–1809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Zhao Y, Hu C, Hu Y, Cheng H, Shi G, Qu L (2012) A versatile, ultralight, nitrogen-doped graphene framework. Angew Chem Int Ed 124:11533–11537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Wei D, Liu Y, Wang Y, Zhang H, Huang L, Yu G (2009) Synthesis of N-Doped graphene by chemical vapor deposition and its electrical properties. Nano Lett 9:1752–1758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Lin YC, Lin CY, Chiu PW (2010) Controllable graphene N-doping with ammonia plasma. Appl Phys Lett 96:133110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Jafri RI, Rajalakshmi N, Ramaprabhu S (2010) Nitrogen doped graphene nanoplatelets as catalyst support for oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cell. J Mater Chem 20:7114–7117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Chen CM, Zhang Q, Zhao XC, Zhang B, Kong QQ, Yang MG, Yang QH, Wang MZ, Yang YG, Schlögl R, Su DS (2012) Hierarchically aminated graphene honeycombs for electrochemical capacitive energy storage. J Mater Chem 22:14076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Li M, Tang N, Ren W, Cheng H, Wu W, Zhong W, Du Y (2012) Quenching of fluorescence of reduced graphene oxide by nitrogen-doping. Appl Phys Lett 100:233112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Li N, Wang Z, Zhao K, Shi Z, Gu Z, Xu S (2010) Large scale synthesis of N-doped multi-layered graphene sheets by simple arc-discharge method. Carbon 48:255–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Gopalakrishnan K, Govindaraj A, Rao CNR (2013) Extraordinary supercapacitor performance of heavily nitrogenated graphene oxide obtained by microwave synthesis. J Mater Chem A 1:7563–7565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hassan FM, Chabot V, Li J, Kim BK, Ricardez-Sandoval L, Yu A (2013) Pyrrolic-structure enriched nitrogen doped graphene for highly efficient next generation supercapacitors. J Mater Chem A 1:2904–2912

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lin Z, Waller GH, Liu Y, Liu M, Wong CP (2013) Simple preparation of nanoporous few-layer nitrogen-doped graphene for use as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions. Carbon 53:130–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lin Z, Waller G, Liu Y, Liu M, Wong CP (2012) Facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene via pyrolysis of graphene oxide and urea, and its electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen-reduction reaction. Adv Energy Mater 2:884–888

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Sheng ZH, Shao L, Chen JJ, Bao WJ, Wang FB, Xia XH (2011) Catalyst-free synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene via thermal annealing graphite oxide with melamine and its excellent electrocatalysis. ACS Nano 5:4350–4358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Lin Z, Song MK, Ding Y, Liu Y, Liu M, Wong CP (2012) Facile preparation of nitrogen-doped graphene as a metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction. Phys Chem Chem Phys 14:3381–3387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Huang H, Tang Y, Xu L, Tang S, Du Y (2014) Direct formation of reduced graphene oxide and 3D lightweight nickel network composite foam by hydrohalic acids and its application for high-performance supercapacitors. ACS Appl Mater Interfac 6:10248–10257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Wang K, Li L, Zhang T, Liu Z (2014) Nitrogen-doped graphene for supercapacitor with long-term electrochemical stability. Energy 70:612–617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Sui ZY, Meng YZ, Xiao PW, Zhao ZQ, Wei ZX, Han BH (2015) Nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels as efficient supercapacitor electrodes and gas adsorbents. Appl Mater Interfac 7:1431–1438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Xie B, Chen Y, Yu M, Shen X, Lei H, Xie T, Zhang Y, Wu Y (2015) Carboxyl-assisted synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene sheets for supercapacitor applications. Nanoscale Res Lett 10:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Kota M, Yu X, Yeon SH, Cheong HW, Park HS (2016) Ice-templated three dimensional nitrogen doped graphene for enhanced supercapacitor performance. J Power Sources 303:372–378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Du X, Zhou C, Liu HY, Mai YW, Wang G (2013) Facile chemical synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene sheets and their electrochemical capacitance. J Power Sources 241:460–466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Chen J, Sheng K, Luo P, Li C, Shi G (2012) Graphene hydrogels deposited in Nickel foams for high-rate electrochemical capacitors. Adv Mater 24:4569–4573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Chen W, Fan Z, Zeng G, Lai Z (2013) Layer-dependent supercapacitance of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition on nickel foam. J Power Sourc 225:251–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Zhang LL, Zhao X, Stoller MD, Zhu Y, Ji H, Murali S, Wu Y, Perales S, Clevenger B, Ruoff RS (2012) Highly conductive and porous activated reduced graphene oxide films for high-power supercapacitors. Nano Lett 12:1806–1812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Cheng Q, Tang J, Ma J, Zhang H, Shinya N, Qin LC (2011) Graphene and carbon nanotube composite electrodes for supercapacitors with ultra-high energy density. Phys Chem Chem Phys 13:17615–17624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Beidaghi M, Wang C (2012) Micro-supercapacitors based on interdigital electrodes of reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotube composites with ultrahigh power handling performance. Adv Funct Mater 22:4501–4510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Cao X, Shi Y, Shi W, Lu G, Huang X, Yan Q, Zhang Q, Zhang H (2011) Preparation of novel 3D graphene networks for supercapacitor applications. Small 7:3163–3168

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Project of Fundamental Research of China (Grant No. 2012CB932304).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Novel Energy Materials and Related Technology, College of Physics Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, People’s Republic of China

    Haifu Huang & Guangxu Li

  2. Nanjing National Laboratory of Microstructures and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, People’s Republic of China

    Haifu Huang, Chenglong Lei, Guangsheng Luo, Zhenzhi Cheng, Shaolong Tang & Youwei Du

  3. Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Structure and Property for New Energy and Materials, School of Material Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, 541004, People’s Republic of China

    Haifu Huang & Guangxu Li

  4. Academy of Space Technology, Nanchang University, Jiangxi Nanchang, 330031, People’s Republic of China

    Guangsheng Luo

Authors
  1. Haifu Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chenglong Lei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guangsheng Luo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zhenzhi Cheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Guangxu Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Shaolong Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Youwei Du
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shaolong Tang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Huang, H., Lei, C., Luo, G. et al. Facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene on Ni foam for high-performance supercapacitors. J Mater Sci 51, 6348–6356 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-016-9931-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-016-9931-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation