Heterogeneous Structures Consisting of Rod-like ZnO Interspersed with Ce 2 S 3 Nanoparticles for Photo-Sensitive Supercapacitors with Enhanced Capacitive Performance

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2024-04, Vol.20 (15), p.e2306753
• Main Authors: Long, Wanjiang, Li, Tongling, Luo, Qianqian, Li, Weilong, Zhang, Heng, Tan, Haifeng, Ren, Zhaoyu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306753

Photosensitive supercapacitors incorporate light-sensitive materials on capacitive electrodes, enabling solar energy conversion and storage in one device. In this study, heterogeneous structures of rod-shaped ZnO decorated with Ce S nanoparticles on nickel foam (ZnO@Ce S /NF) are synthesized using a two-step hydrothermal method as photosensitive supercapacitor electrodes for capacitance enhancement under visible light. The formation of ZnO@Ce S heterogeneous structures is confirmed using various structural characterization techniques. The area-specific capacitance of the ZnO@Ce S /NF composite electrode increased from 1738.1 to 1844.0 mF cm after illumination under a current density of 5 mA cm , which is 2.4 and 2.8 times higher than that of ZnO and Ce S electrodes under similar conditions, respectively, indicating the remarkable light-induced capacitance enhancement performance. The ZnO@Ce S /NF electrode also exhibits a higher photocurrent and photovoltage than the two single electrodes, demonstrating its excellent photosensitivity. The improved capacitance performance and photosensitivity under illumination are attributed to the well-constructed energy-level structure, which stimulates the flow of photogenerated electrons from the outer circuit and the involvement of photogenerated holes in the resulting surface-controlled capacitance. In addition, the assembled ZnO@Ce S /NF-based hybrid supercapacitor exhibits a great energy density of 145.0 mWh cm under illumination. This study provides a novel strategy for the development of high-performance solar energy conversion/storage devices.