Redox electrolyte mediated performance enhancement in aqueous zinc ion hybrid supercapacitors composed of spinel BaFe 2 O 4 and cubic Cu 2 O

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. C, Materials for optical and electronic devices Materials for optical and electronic devices, 2024-05, Vol.12 (19), p.6865-6880
• Main Authors: Yetiman, Sevda, Dokan, Fatma Kilic, Onses, M. Serdar, Yilmaz, Erkan, Ozdemir, Ahmet Turan, Sahmetlioglu, Ertugrul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2050-7526; 2050-7534
• DOI: 10.1039/D4TC00262H

The conception and advancement of materials for highly efficient electrochemical energy storage devices is of critical importance. This paper propounds the convenient synthesis and rational unification of spinel BaFe 2 O 4 and polymer-mediated self-assembled cubic Cu 2 O for high-performance zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSCs). The electrochemical characteristics of ZHSC were investigated using two different electrolytes: conventional (C-ZHSC) and redox additive doped (potassium ferro cyanide K 4 [Fe (CN) 6 ]) (Re-ZHSC). X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy analyses of wet-chemically generated materials validate concurrency with the literature. The specific surface area (SSA) of the BaFe 2 O 4 @Cu 2 O;18.29 m 2 g −1 composite was increased roughly nine times above the SSA of Cu 2 O, 2.03 m 2 g −1 , whereas the SSA of BaFe 2 O 4 was the greatest at 29.39 m 2 g −1 . The electrochemical analysis revealed that the BaFe 2 O 4 @Cu 2 O hybrid had a maximal specific capacitance (Sc) of 803 F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 . Furthermore, the composite demonstrated an expanded potential window of −1.2 to 0.42, contributing to its enhanced performance. However, the recorded maximum Scs and potential window of pristine materials Cu 2 O and BaFe 2 O 4 were just 462 F g −1 and 0–0.42 volts and 593 F g −1 and −1.2–0.42 volts, respectively, at the same current density. The assembled C-ZHSC achieved the highest Sc of 165 F g −1 at a current density of 1 A g −1 with a potential window of 0.8–2.2 volts. The recorded maximal energy (ED) and power densities were 45 W h kg −1 and 27 W kg −1 , respectively. Furthermore, the generated Re-ZHSC outperformed C-ZHSC in terms of Sc, ED, and PD by ∼2.5 (404 F g −1 with a potential window of 0.6–2.2 volts), ∼3.2 (144 W h kg −1 ), and ∼1.4 (37.000 W kg −1 ) times, respectively. Furthermore, the cyclic stability of Re-ZHSC has shown a sixfold improvement (84%) compared to C-ZHSC (78%), with approximately 7% less dendrite formation. These results authenticate BaFe 2 O 4 @Cu 2 O as a considerably appealing compound for ZHSCs.