Reduced chemically modified graphene oxide for supercapacitor electrode

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Supercapacitors are crucial for energy storage, demanding efficient electrode materials.
• Graphene oxide is a promising precursor, but its electrochemical performance needs enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective and efficient active material for supercapacitor electrodes.
• To investigate the impact of potassium hydroxide (KOH) treatment on graphene oxide's electrochemical properties.

Main Methods:

• Graphene oxide was reacted with potassium hydroxide (KOH).
• The modified graphene oxide was chemically reduced using hydrazine for 24 hours.
• Electrochemical performance was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge.

Main Results:

• KOH-treated, hydrazine-reduced graphene oxide (RCMGO-24) exhibited a specific capacitance of 253 F g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹.
• This is significantly higher than hydrazine-reduced graphene oxide (RGO-24) which showed 141 F g⁻¹.
• RCMGO-24 demonstrated excellent cyclic stability up to 3,000 cycles and improved wetting properties.

Conclusions:

• Residual oxygen functional groups in RCMGO-24 accelerate faradaic reactions, boosting capacitance and stability.
• The non-annealed, KOH-based strategy provides a simple and cost-effective method for supercapacitor electrode material preparation.