Herein, we report a facile, low-cost and one-step electrodeposition approach for the synthesis MnCo2O4 (MCO) nanosheet arrays on indium doped tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates. The crystalline phase and morphology of the materials are studied by x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray analysis and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The supercapacitor performance of the MCO nanosheets are studied in a three-electrode configuration in 2 M KOH electrolyte. The as-prepared binder-free electrode shows a high specific capacitance of 290 F g(-1) at 1 mV s(-1) with excellent cyclic stability even after 1000 charge/discharge cycles. The obtained energy density and power density of the MCO nanosheets are 10.04 Wh kg(-1) and 5.2 kW kg(-1) respectively. The superior electrochemical performances are mainly attributed to its nanosheet like structure which provides a large reaction surface area, and fast ion and electron transfer rate.

Here, we report the facile synthesis of NiCoO (NCO) and NiCoO-Pd (NCO-Pd) nanosheets by the electrodeposition method. We observed enhanced glucose-sensing performance of NCO-Pd nanosheets as compared to bare NCO nanosheets. The sensitivity of the pure NCO nanosheets is 27.5 μA μM cm, whereas NCO-Pd nanosheets exhibit sensitivity of 40.03 μA μM cm. Density functional theory simulations have been performed to qualitatively support our experimental observations by investigating the interactions and charge-transfer mechanism of glucose on NiCoO and Pd-doped NiCoO through demonstration of partial density of states and charge density distributions. The presence of occupied and unoccupied density of states near the Fermi level implies that both Ni and Co ions in NiCoO can act as communicating media to transfer the charge from glucose by participating in the redox reactions. The higher binding energy of glucose and more charge transfer from glucose to Pd-doped NiCoO compared with bare NiCoO infer that Pd-doped NiCoO possesses superior charge-transfer kinetics, which supports the higher glucose-sensing performance.

Non-enzymatic glucose sensing properties of NiCo2O4 nanosheets show linear response with respect to the change in glucose concentration varying from 5 to 65 μM and exhibit the sensitivity value of 6.69 μA μM−1 cm−2 with a LOD value of 0.38 μM.

In this review, electrocatalysts for HER/OER/ORR and energy storage electrode materials based on MnCo2O4 were reviewed considering their key multifunctional role in the way to a more sustainable society.