Fabrication of novel chitosan decorated reduced graphene oxide/cobalt oxide hybrid nanocomposite electrode material for supercapacitor applications

• Published in: Inorganic chemistry communications 2025-01, Vol.171, p.113544, Article 113544
• Main Authors: Indumathi, N., Sridevi, C., Madona, J., Gokulavani, G., Prabhu, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CS-rGO-Co3O4 electrode; KOH electrolyte; Specific capacitance; Supercapacitor
• ISSN: 1387-7003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2024.113544

[Display omitted] •A novel hybrid CS-rGO-Co3O4 hybrid nanocomposite was synthesized.•Synthesized hybrid delivered an excellent specific capacitance of 361.31 Fg−1.•CS-rGO-Co3O4 exhibits energy and power density of 23.6 WhKg−1 and 734.15 WKg−1.•CS-rGO-Co3O4 demonstrated high cyclic stability of 10,000 charge–discharge cycles.•The reversible nature of CS-rGO-Co3O4 is confirmed by the columbic efficiency 99 %. Supercapacitors are considered efficient electrochemical energy storage devices due to their high-power density, long cycling stability, and quick charge–discharge rates. Despite exhibiting high power density and cycling stability, the electrode materials are toxic and non-degradable, continuously affecting the environment. Biopolymers are a suitable alternative to conventional electrode materials since they possess interesting properties such as unique structure, biodegradability, abundant availability, and efficient interaction with other materials. This study aims to synthesize chitosan (CS) based nanocomposites, namely CS-rGO, CS-Co3O4, and CS-rGO-Co3O4 hybrid nanocomposites by an effective simple strategy method. XRD results show well-intensified peaks confirming the formation of nanocomposites. SEM and HR-TEM analysis indicates the cobalt oxide nanoparticles diffused in the sheet-like structure of CS-rGO which is evident for the porous nature of the CS-rGO-Co3O4 hybrid nanocomposite. A novel CS-rGO-Co3O4 hybrid nanocomposite showed surpassing electrochemical performance compared to other synthesized binary composites. The hybrid composite exhibited a high specific capacitance of 361.31 Fg−1 with an electroactive surface area of 136.880 m2g−1. In GCD, the hybrid composite demonstrates a 70 % capacitance retention and 99 % Coulombic efficiency after 10,000 cycles. An asymmetric hybrid supercapacitor is assembled using CS-rGO-Co3O4 nanocomposite as an anode and activated carbon as a cathode. The assembled AHS device delivers a high specific capacitance of 75.7 Fg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1. The energy density of the CS-rGO-Co3O4 hybrid nanocomposite is 23.6 WhKg−1 and the power density is 734.15 WKg−1. Hence, our research provides valuable insights for developing high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.