Influence of the content on properties of microwave-exfoliated graphite oxide and Ni(OH)2 composites

Composites of Ni(OH)(2) and microwave-exfoliated graphite oxide (MEGO) with component ratios of 20: 80, 35: 65, and 50: 50 have been synthesized by treating a water mixture of MEGO with NiSO4 x 7H(2)O in a KOH solution. The structure and properties of the composites obtained have been studied using IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. MEGO is known to possess high stability during the charge-discharge process and relatively low specific capacitance. On the contrary, Ni(OH)(2) possesses a high specific capacitance and a low stability during the charge-discharge process. Our experimental results show that the addition of MEGO to Ni(OH)(2) increases the stability of the composite electrode under a charge-discharge process. Some increase in the specific capacitance during the cycling have been observed for the composites with the 35: 65 and 50: 50 ratios. Moreover, the specific capacitance of the 35: 65 composite matches the specific capacitance of pure Ni(OH)(2) after 100 cycles.