Synthesis, structural analysis, and electrochemical performance of chitosan incorporated CuO nanomaterial for supercapacitor applications

Reliable energy storage technology is essential to meet the energy demand. It is important to research novel materials for developing efficient energy storage devices. Polymer-based supercapacitors is an emerging energy storage device it has received a lot of interest due to their versatile characteristics such as long cycle life, high power, and high-energy storage capacity. Chitosan (CS) is a flexible biodegradable polymer used in energy storage applications because of its high porosity, low weight, natural biodegradability, renewability, wide accessibility, non-toxicity, and eco-friendliness. Herein, a novel CS-CuO nanocomposite was prepared to enhance the electrochemical performance of chitosan and results were assessed. CS-CuO nanocomposite was synthesized by a simple strategy method. The formation of CS-CuO nanocomposite is confirmed through PXRD, FT-IR spectra, EDX, and elemental mapping analysis. SEM studies show the cubic CuO nanoparticles are embedded in the sheet-like structure of CS. The BET analysis revealed the mesoporous structure of the CS-CuO nanocomposite and the average pore diameter was found to be 26.585 nm which provides a smaller diffusion distance for electrolyte ions. As prepared CS-CuO nanocomposite delivers a high specific capacitance of 325 Fg−1 as compared to the pure CS (115 Fg−1) and CuO (185 Fg−1), indicating the synergetic between CS and CuO. Also, the cycling retention of the CS-CuO electrode is 99% after 10,000 cycles at the current density of 1 Ag−1. The low charge transfer resistance of CS-CuO nanocomposite (4.8 Ω) indicates the ideal capacitive behavior of CS-CuO nanocomposite. Furthermore, the CS-CuO electrode demonstrated a remarkable specific energy density and power density of 11.28 Wh.kg−1 and 929.57 W kg−1, respectively. Thus, the superior electrochemical performance of the prepared electrode confirms the ideal ion transfer and synergistic effect between CS and CuO.