Glycine based auto-combustion synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles as electrode material for supercapacitor

Abstract

Abstract In this work, ZnO is prepared using glycine based auto-combustion synthesis with advantages of nanoparticles with mesoporosity. x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate the structural and bond formation of ZnO. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method was employed to calculate the surface area of ZnO nanoparticles. The surface area was determined to be 6.098 m2 g−1 having pore width lying of 121.389 Å. Chemical bonding of ZnO nanoparticles was studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and results revealed successful formation of Zn-O bond. The morphology was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and the particles were noticed in 100–500 nm with cylindrical, spherical, and random shaped sharp-edged particles. The electrochemical properties of ZnO were investigated as anode for supercapacitor. ZnO electrode exhibits capacitance of 209.8 F g−1, 186.2 F g−1, 170.6 F g−1, and 167 F g−1 at current densities of 0.25 A g−1, 0.5 A g−1, 1 A g−1, and 2 A g−1, respectively.