Atomic layer deposition of nickel carbide for supercapacitors and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

We report a new atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for nickel carbide (Ni₃C). The process uses bis(1,4-di-tert-butyl-1,3-diazabutadienyl)nickel(II) and H₂ plasma and is able to produce smooth, pure, crystalline Ni₃C thin films in an ideal self-limiting ALD growth fashion. Using this ALD process, a uniform thin layer of Ni₃C can be conformally coated on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to afford a core–shell nanostructured Ni₃C/CNT composite. The ALD-prepared Ni₃C/CNT composite is demonstrated to show excellent performance for supercapacitors and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.