NiO‐Co3O4‐rGO as an Efficient Electrode Material for Supercapacitors and Direct Alcoholic Fuel Cells

Transition metal oxides can be performant electrode materials for supercapacitors and alcohol oxidation if their conductivity and capacity are improved. Herein, an advanced nanocomposite material made of NiO‐Co3O4 on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is synthesized by a one‐step hydrothermal method for supercapacitors and methanol/ethanol oxidation. It is demonstrated that the nanocomposite is a promising material for energy storage as NiO‐Co3O4‐rGO supercapacitor electrodes achieve a specific capacity of 149 mAh g−1 (894 F g−1) at a current density of 0.5 A g−1, the discharge time of 689 s, and excellent stability of 95% after 6000 cycles. Moreover, NiO‐Co3O4‐rGO shows a current density of 15 and 10 mA cm−2 in methanol and ethanol oxidation reactions, respectively, along with excellent stability. NiO‐Co3O4 and NiO‐Co3O4/rGO multicomponent nanocomposites are used for supercapacitors and alcohol oxidation. The synergistic effects between the two metal oxides and the hybridization with reduced graphene oxide lead to supercapacitors with high specific capacity and long discharge time as well as methanol and ethanol oxidation processes with high current density and reduced overvoltage.