Fabrication and impact on photocatalytic activity of Cu-doped ZnO/SnO2 nanostructures with for enhancing the electrochemical performance

This study employed the ball milling process to successfully craft nanostructures of Cu-doped ZnO/SnO₂ (ZOSn/Cu), which were thoroughly characterized through various methods. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the presence of the Zn₂SnO₄ cubic spinel phase in the nanostructure samples, along with diffraction peaks corresponding to ZnO or SnO₂ phases. Notably, the photocatalytic degradation performance of the structured catalysts was greatly improved compared to undoped ZOSn/Cu nanostructures, achieving MB elimination rates of 60% and 80% after 120 min of irradiation, with an overall degradation of approximately 90%. The ZOSn/Cu electrode, designed for energy storage, demonstrated superior performance, boasting a specific capacitance of 380.0 Fg⁻¹, outperforming the pure ZOSn/Cu electrode. Its trimetallic composition of zinc, copper, and tin contributed to enhanced electrochemical properties. This electrode demonstrated excellent cyclic stability, maintaining around 90% of its capacity, along with key characteristics like corrosion resistance, high conductivity, and a wealth of active sites. These properties make it highly promising for advanced energy storage applications.