Tuning the electrochemical performance of a hierarchical MoO₃/CdO binary heterostructure for supercapacitor...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) is a promising material for supercapacitors.
• Enhancing MoO3's electrochemical performance is crucial for advanced energy storage.
• Cadmium oxide (CdO) incorporation is explored to improve MoO3-based electrodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize Cadmium oxide (CdO)-incorporating Molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) nanocomposites.
• To investigate the influence of varying CdO content on the electrochemical properties of MoO3.
• To evaluate the potential of these nanocomposites for supercapacitor applications.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis of MoO3/CdO nanocomposites with varying CdO concentrations (1%, 3%, 5%).
• Structural and morphological characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM).
• Electrochemical performance evaluation via cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

Main Results:

• The 3% CdO-MoO3 electrode achieved a high specific capacitance of 671 F g⁻¹ (vs. 386 F g⁻¹ for pristine MoO3).
• The 3% CdO-MoO3 electrode exhibited excellent cycling stability, retaining over 92% capacitance after 5000 cycles.
• A symmetric supercapacitor using 3% CdO-MoO3 demonstrated a 1.6 V operating voltage and an energy density of 124 W h kg⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• CdO incorporation effectively enhances the electrochemical performance and conductivity of MoO3.
• The 3% CdO-MoO3 nanocomposite shows significant potential as an electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.
• The developed nanocomposites offer a viable pathway for advanced energy storage solutions.