In this study, ZnCo2O4 ultra-thin curved sheets which directly grown on nickel foam are fabricated by a one-step hydrothermal method. A possible growth mechanism for the ZnCo2O4 ultra-thin curved sheets involves sodium dodecyl sulfate chains serving as the template under the adsorption of the hydrophilic terminal on Zn2+ and Co3+ ions. Active materials grow along the chains after nucleation, these chains in turn attached to each other forming ultra-thin curved sheets in the reaction solution. The ZnCo2O4 ultrathin curved sheets/nickel foam electrode exhibits super-high specific capacity of 832 C g(-1) at 5 A g(-1), remarkable high-rate capability (737 C g(-1) at 15 A g(-1)), excellent cycling stability and maintaining 85.5% at 50 A g(-1) after 5000 cycles. A button hybrid supercapacitor device operating at 1.7 V is prepared by using activated carbon coating on nickel foam and ZnCo2O4 ultra-thin curved sheets/nickel foam as negative and positive electrodes, respectively. The device shows an energy density of 20.31Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 855Wkg(-1) while maintaining an energy density of 10.2Wh kg(-1) at 4.25 kW kg(-1), as well as good cycling stability (87% retention after 5000 cycles). (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.