Comparative analysis of ZnO nanoparticle's specific capacitance in supercapacitors: The role of surfactant and stabilizing agent
Snehasree Reddy Yekkaluri, Shireesha Konda, Divya Velpula, Rakesh Kumar Thida, Shilpa Chakra Chidurala, Bala Narsaiah Tumma, Navaneeth Reddy Nama, Rakesh Deshmukh
Abstract
In this report, a facile synthetic solution combustion technique is used for the synthesis of cost-effective nanomaterials (Zinc Oxide) for high performance in supercapacitor applications. To synthesize Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, zinc nitrate hexahydrate is used as an oxidizer, and citric acid is taken as a fuel. Here, the products' properties can be controlled in surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) and stabilizing agent (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP). The effect of the addition of these agents played a crucial role in determining the synthesized nanocomposites' crystallite size, optical absorption, and specific capacitance. The structural and morphological characterization was done using X-ray diffraction, UV-visible, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, and Transmission electron microscopy. The average crystallite sizes were 14 – 20 nm, with a hexagonal structure of ZnO identified from X-Ray diffraction analysis. Electrochemical analyses were measured in 6M KOH within the potential window of 0 – 0.5 V. The specific capacitance of the material synthesized with surfactant (SDS) and stabilizing agent (PVP) was found to be the highest (919 F/g at 2 mV/s) compared to other zinc oxide nanoparticles, reflecting the key role of SDS and PVP in electrochemical performance.