Synthesis of ZnO/activated carbon with high surface area for supercapacitor electrodes

Influence of Fe Doping on the Electrochemical Performance of a ZnO-Nanostructure-Based Electrode for Supercapacitors

ZnO is a potential candidate for providing an economic and environmentally friendly substitute for energy storage materials. Therefore, in this work, Fe-doped ZnO nanostructures prepared using the microwave irradiation procedure were investigated for structural, morphological, magnetic, electronic structural, specific surface area and electrochemical properties to be used as electrodes for supercapacitors. The X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images, and selective-area electron diffraction pattern indicated that the nanocrystalline structures of Fe-doped ZnO were found to possess a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The effect of Fe doping in the ZnO matrix was observed on the lattice parameters, which were found to increase with the dopant concentration. Rods and a nanosheet-like morphology were observed via FESEM images. The ferromagnetic nature of samples is associated with the presence of bound magnetic polarons. The enhancement of saturation magnetization was observed due to Fe doping up to 3% in correspondence with the increase in the number of bound magnetic polarons with an Fe content of up to 3%. This behavior is observed as a result of the change in the oxidation state from +2 to +3, which was a consequence of Fe doping ranging from 3% to 5%. The electrode performance of Fe-doped ZnO nanostructures was studied using electrochemical measurements. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) results inferred that the specific capacitance increased with Fe doping and displayed a high specific capacitance of 286 F·g-1 at 10 mV/s for 3% Fe-doped ZnO nanostructures and decreased beyond that. Furthermore, the stability of the Zn0.97Fe0.03O electrode, which was examined by performing 2000 cycles, showed excellent cyclic stability (85.0% of value retained up to 2000 cycles) with the highest specific capacitance of 276.4 F·g-1, signifying its appropriateness as an electrode for energy storage applications.

Activated carbons from waste Cassia bakeriana seed pods as high-performance adsorbents for toxic anionic dye and ciprofloxacin antibiotic remediation

Waste Cassia bakeriana seed pods were used for porous carbon production in a facile pyrolysis process. The carbons were highly efficient adsorbents for methylene blue, congo red and ciprofloxacin antibiotic from aqueous media. The experimental results demonstrated that despite moderate surface area of 283.4 m²/g, KOH activated carbon (PSAC-KOH) exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for congo red reported to date for carbon-based adsorbents (970 mg/g). PSAC-KOH also demonstrated a high adsorption capacity at 600 mg/g for ciprofloxacin. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the carbons demonstrated an extensive graphitic characteristic, while Fourier transform infrared spectra of PSAC-KOH suggested a high proportion of aromaticity which promotes adsorption mechanisms including electrostatic and π-π interactions. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitting suggested a rate-controlling chemisorption mechanism. The utilization of waste Cassia bakeriana seed pods for carbon production may create new opportunities to develop sustainable and highly efficient adsorbents for water remediation.

Green Synthesis and Applications of ZnO and TiO2 Nanostructures

Over the last two decades, oxide nanostructures have been continuously evaluated and used in many technological applications. The advancement of the controlled synthesis approach to design desired morphology is a fundamental key to the discipline of material science and nanotechnology. These nanostructures can be prepared via different physical and chemical methods; however, a green and ecofriendly synthesis approach is a promising way to produce these nanostructures with desired properties with less risk of hazardous chemicals. In this regard, ZnO and TiO2 nanostructures are prominent candidates for various applications. Moreover, they are more efficient, non-toxic, and cost-effective. This review mainly focuses on the recent state-of-the-art advancements in the green synthesis approach for ZnO and TiO2 nanostructures and their applications. The first section summarizes the green synthesis approach to synthesize ZnO and TiO2 nanostructures via different routes such as solvothermal, hydrothermal, co-precipitation, and sol-gel using biological systems that are based on the principles of green chemistry. The second section demonstrates the application of ZnO and TiO2 nanostructures. The review also discusses the problems and future perspectives of green synthesis methods and the related issues posed and overlooked by the scientific community on the green approach to nanostructure oxides.

Physical-chemical Characterization of Nano-Zinc Oxide/Activated Carbon Composite for Phenol Removal from Aqueous Solution

Oil palm shell was used as a precursor for preparation of activated carbon using different chemical activations (potassium hydroxide (KOH), zinc chloride (ZNCl2), and phosphoric acid (H3PO4)). Each activated carbons (AC) was mixed with nano-zinc oxide to form a composite. From the gas sorption analyzer, it is showed that nitrogen adsorption isotherms show Type II for ZnO/AC-KOH and ZnO/AC-ZnCl2 corresponding to the micro- and mesoporous structures, respectively. However, the nitrogen adsorption isotherm of ZnO/AC-H3PO4 exhibits the Type I with predominantly microporous structures. The SEM micrographs produced unsmooth surface and different pore sizes. The XRD patterns at 2θ of 25.06° and 26.75° were come from amorphous activated carbon. The peak intensity of ZnO was weak due to low concentration of zinc precursor. However, the ZnO of ZnO/AC-ZnCl2 showed strongly peak intensity. The effectiveness of the composites was examined for phenol removal determined by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer method. The equilibrium adsorption follows the Langmuir and Freundlich models according to the best correlation coefficient (R2). The kinetic model was only obtained for the pseudo-second-order with the best linearity of the correlation coefficient (R2). The results of this study showed that the oil palm shell has a great potential for ZnO/AC with excellent adsorptive property. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). 

Asymmetric supercapacitor of functionalised electrospun carbon fibers/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/manganese oxide//activated carbon with superior electrochemical performance

Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASC) have shown a great potential candidate for high-performance supercapacitor due to their wide operating potential which can remarkably enhance the capacitive behaviour. In present work, a novel positive electrode derived from functionalised carbon nanofibers/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/manganese oxide (f-CNFs/PEDOT/MnO₂) was prepared using a multi-step route and activated carbon (AC) was fabricated as a negative electrode for ASC. A uniform distribution of PEDOT and MnO₂ on f-CNFs as well as porous granular of AC are well-observed in FESEM. The assembled f-CNFs/PEDOT/MnO₂//AC with an operating potential of 1.6 V can achieve a maximum specific capacitance of 537 F/g at a scan rate of 5 mV/s and good cycling stability (81.06% after cycling 8000 times). Furthermore, the as-prepared ASC exhibited reasonably high specific energy of 49.4 Wh/kg and low charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of 2.27 Ω, thus, confirming f-CNFs/PEDOT/MnO₂//AC as a promising electrode material for the future energy storage system.

Current progress achieved in novel materials for supercapacitor electrodes: mini review

Supercapacitors are highly attractive for a large number of emerging mobile devices for addressing energy storage and harvesting issues. This mini review presents a summary of recent developments in supercapacitor research and technology, including all kinds of supercapacitor design techniques using various electrode materials and production methods. It also covers the current progress achieved in novel materials for supercapacitor electrodes. The latest produced EDLC/hybrid/pseudo-supercapacitors have also been described. In particular, metal oxides, specifically ZnO, used as electrode materials are in focus here. Eventually, future developments, prospects, and challenges in supercapacitor research have been elaborated on.