Manganese Oxide-Enriched Copper Oxide (Mn2O3/CuO) Nanocomposite Electrodes for Supercapacitor Application

Abstract

This study investigates a novel class of electrode materials known as mixed transition-metal oxides (MMOs) for their improved electrochemical capabilities. Specifically, a one-pot hydrothermal method is employed to successfully synthesize binary mixed-metal oxides comprising manganese oxide and copper oxide (Mn₂O₃/CuO). The interest in MMOs lies in their potential to enhance multifunctional performance compared to single metal oxides, prompting a comprehensive examination of their structure and properties. Various analytical techniques are utilized to investigate the crystal structures, functional groups and surface morphology of the single and binary MMOs. Moreover, electrochemical experiments are conducted to assess their electrochemical behaviour. The results reveal that the Mn₂O₃ and CuO MMOs’ electrodes exhibit pseudocapacitor-like characteristics, outperforming single metal oxides in terms of specific capacitance. At a current density of 1 A g⁻¹, the Mn₂O₃/CuO MMOs electrodes achieve a specific capacitance of 342.85 F g⁻¹. Notably, the symmetric device demonstrates excellent retentivity (89.97%) even after 5000 repeated cycles, showcasing its exceptional supercapacitive attributes for maximum energy storage capability.