Enhanced Performance of SnO₂-Noble Metal Composites on Electrical Energy Generation and Storage Devices

Abstract

The present work discusses the green-mediated fabrication of SnO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> /Ag/Au nanocomposites using the extract of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Corallo Carpus epigaeus</i> rhizome. XRD pattern confirmed the tetragonal rutile structure of pure SnO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> and face-centered cubic phases of Ag systems. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and TEM images revealed the shape and average size of the particles. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect was investigated using UV–Vis spectroscopy. Photoluminescence studies were carried out to detect the surface defects and electron–hole pair recombination processes. The size effect of nanoscale crystallites was studied by Raman spectroscopy. It revealed that the reduction in grain size of the particles broadened the intensity peaks due to the increase in oxygen vacancies. Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${I}-{V}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> characteristics exposed that the combination of SnO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> /Ag/Au nanocomposites exhibited an improved efficiency (11.37%) than its pure form (7.68%). Supercapacitor studies involved cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge analysis. Ag/Au composited with SnO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> nanomaterials attained an enhanced capacitance value of 483.76 F/g at 10 mV/s. Electrochemical impedance studies were also conducted to analyze the electrochemical behavior of the nanomaterials.