Role of polymeric surfactant in the synthesis of cobalt molybdate nanospheres for hybrid capacitor applications

Barmi, M.J. and Minakshi, M.ORCID: 0000-0001-6558-8317 (2016) Role of polymeric surfactant in the synthesis of cobalt molybdate nanospheres for hybrid capacitor applications. RSC Advances, 6 (42). pp. 36152-36162.

Abstract

The role of Pluronic F127, a triblock copolymer, i.e. poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) PEO-PPO-PEO, adsorbed on cobalt molybdate (CoMoO4), and its influence on the physico-chemical properties have been investigated. As a surfactant, Pluronic F127 is able to alter the surface properties of CoMoO4 during synthesis. Through a facile synthesis at 300 °C, F127 adsorbs at the interface and self-assembles into a micellar aggregate, resulting in the formation of CoMoO4 nanospheres. A cluster of nano-particles with an average size of 250 nm is obtained when F127 is added to CoMoO4, while rod-shaped particles (1 μm) are obtained in the absence of F127. The surfactant-assisted CoMoO4 is associated with enhanced pore accessibility and electronic conductivity, having a dual role in potential applications. The objective of this study is to test the as-synthesized CoMoO4 with regard to application in energy storage by tuning the surface properties. The hybrid capacitor (F127 added to CoMoO4vs. activated carbon) showed an excellent electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 79 F g-1 and an energy density of 38 W h kg-1 in 2 M NaOH electrolyte, which was much higher than that for pure CoMoO4 (23 F g-1). The long-term cycling stability of the modified CoMoO4 was tested and it was found to retain almost 80% of its initial capacity after 2000 cycles. The results obtained suggest that F127-modified CoMoO4 would be a suitable candidate for fabricating a cost-effective energy storage device.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Engineering and Information Technology
Publisher:	Royal Society of Chemistry
Copyright:	© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2016.
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/31085

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