Influence of nanosized Ni(OH)2 addition on the electrochemical performance of nickel hydroxide electrode

Nanosized cathode material Ni(OH)2 for alkaline batteries was prepared by converting the precursor of NiC2O4·2H2O in KOH water solution which contained Tween-80, and the precursor was obtained via the reaction between Ni(NO3)2·6H2O and H2C2O4·2H2O in ethanol solvent. The products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the as-prepared Ni(OH)2 sample by this method is β(II)-type phase and its shape is spherical with the particle size from 5 to 35 nm. The electrochemical studies revealed that the 10% addition of nanosized Ni(OH)2 to common microsized spherical Ni(OH)2 can improve the electrochemical performance of the Ni(OH)2 electrode. There exists approximately a 10% improvement in the utilization of the active material of the Ni(OH)2 electrode with 10% nannosized Ni(OH)2 addition in comparison with microsized spherical Ni(OH)2 electrode. Nanosized Ni(OH)2 may be a promising cathodic active material for alkaline rechargeable batteries.