Morphology-dependent supercapacitive properties of Co3O4 nanomaterials synthesized via coprecipitation and hydrothermal methods

The supercapacitive properties of Co3O4 nanocrystalline powders with two different morphologies synthesized by coprecipitation (referred to as Co3O4–C) and hydrothermal (referred to as Co3O4-H) methods were compared and studied. The samples were analyzed for their phase purity, crystal structure, surface morphology, and surface area. Both samples were found to be single-phase nanostructures with a normal spinel-type cubic crystal structure (space group Fd3¯m), as indicated by Raman and XRD (X-ray diffraction) data analyses. TEM (Transmission electron microscopy) images clearly show that the Co3O4–C sample exhibits spherical particles with a mean size of 10 nm. On the other hand, the Co3O4–H sample shows a flower-like assembly of particles. The Co3O4–C sample has a higher specific surface area than the Co3O4-H sample due to its smaller particle size. XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) data were collected to analyze the chemical states and cation distribution of the samples, revealing a 2:1 ratio of Co3+ and Co2+ in both samples. Both samples displayed pseudocapacitive behaviour in CV (cyclic voltammetry) and GCD (galvanostatic charge–discharge) analyses. Despite having a smaller surface area, the Co3O4–H electrode exhibited a higher CS (specific capacitance) compared to the Co3O4–C electrode at all current densities when tested using 1 M KOH electrolyte. At a specific current density (0.5 A/g), the Cs values for Co3O4–C and Co3O4–H are found to be 366 F/g and 233 F/g, respectively. As the current density increases, the specific capacitance of both electrodes decreases, but this reduction is more prominent for Co3O4-C than Co3O4-H. The study indicates that besides surface area, the morphology of the sample also plays a crucial role in determining the capacitance of a material.