High performing nano-crystalline ternary Sn–Ni–Ag alloy electroplated material for development of high-power density supercapacitor

Abstract

In present work, synthesis and development of ternary Sn–Ni–Ag nanostructured alloy material, deposited on a Cu foil current collector as an electrode using direct current (DC) electrochemical deposition, for application in supercapacitor. In this regards, stoichiometric composition of ternary alloy is better performing than that of binary materials like Sn–Ni alloys. Indeed, Tin (Sn) is utilized for its excellent electrical conductivity, which significantly enhances capacitance, but poor reversibility behavior, nickel (Ni) contributes to mechanical strength, while silver (Ag) imparts superior conductivity, and improved energy storage and conversion capabilities mainly Sn particle. Therefore, this work focuses on Sn–Ni–Ag alloy electrode materials have been prepared and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. The Sn–Ni–Ag deposition thickness of 17 μm, featuring densely packed, and particles are uniformly distributed with a well-crystallized structure. The deposition between Cu and active Sn–Ni–Ag material is a strong adhesion with a particle size of approximately 100 nm. Electrochemical performance was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), both of which confirmed robust capacitor behavior, indicating suitability for energy storage applications. The maximum specific capacitance of electrodeposited Sn–Ni–Ag alloy electrode delivered to be approximately 694 F g⁻¹ at a scan rate of 1 mV s⁻¹, over 5000 cycles demonstrating an excellent utilization of active materials, it's highlighting a good and potential candidate in the advanced energy storage technologies especially for supercapacitor application.