Redox Modulation and Diffusion Kinetics in Ni-Doped CuO: Insights from Quantum-Inspired Electrochemical Methods

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Nickel-doped copper oxide (Ni-doped CuO) nanoparticles are promising for energy storage.
• Understanding their electrochemical kinetics is crucial for device optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively evaluate the electrochemical kinetics of Ni-doped CuO nanoparticles.
• To investigate charge storage mechanisms and interfacial dynamics using advanced electrochemical techniques.
• To explore the role of defect and lattice engineering in correlated oxide systems.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Ni-doped CuO nanoparticles via solution combustion method.
• Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a 3 M KOH electrolyte.
• Application of the R2-Window Linear Discharge (R2WLD) method for precise GCD curve segmentation.
• Utilizing nonlinear Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) for electrochemical regime classification.
• Adaptation of a 1D Ising model to interpret discharge symmetry evolution.

Main Results:

• Detailed electrochemical kinetics of Ni-doped CuO nanoparticles were elucidated.
• The R2WLD method successfully segmented linear and pseudocapacitive discharge regions.
• KPCA effectively classified electrochemical regimes based on scan rate.
• The 1D Ising model provided insights into energetic state transitions.
• Correlation between defect/lattice engineering and functional response was established.

Conclusions:

• Ni-doped CuO nanoparticles exhibit tunable electrochemical properties.
• Advanced analytical methods (R2WLD, KPCA, Ising model) offer novel insights into electrochemical behavior.
• Defect and lattice engineering are critical for optimizing correlated oxide materials for energy storage applications.