Unraveling the role of copper intercalation and doping on NiTe2 to enhance electrochemical performances

Abstract

Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (LTMDs) are now frequently employed as useful materials for catalysis, energy storage, and environmental applications. It is still extremely difficult to create synergistic bimetallic tellurides with great electrochemical performance, particularly in high-performance supercapacitors. Here, the standard self-flux technique is used to make high-capacity Cu intercalated and doped NiTe₂. Both compounds feature a P3m1 space group and a CdI₂-type trigonal structure, following the pattern of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). The transition electron microscope (TEM) also reveals the periodic arrangement of the crystalline structure. Additionally, the multilayer structures of this chemical are seen by the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). We confirm the elemental composition and oxidation state analysis by using EDX and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Cu_0.05NiTe₂ and Ni_0.95Cu_0.05Te₂ show specific capacitances of about 212 F/g and 478 F/g at 1 A/g. Ni_0.95Cu_0.05Te₂ shows excellent cyclic stability (99.18 %) and coulombic efficiency (81.58 %) for 5000 cycles, which confirms that the doping of nickel enhances the electrochemical properties.