Facile synthesis of flower-like Cu–Zn bimetallic electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors

Abstract

In this work, a Cu-Zn bimetallic electrode was prepared using a facile electrodeposition technique. Structural and morphological analyses of the electrode samples showed that the explored range has a linear relationship with the composition, consistent with the formation of Cu and Zn in the electrode. The scanning electron microscope images of the fabricated Cu-Zn bimetallic electrode exhibited a cauliflower-like morphology with voids. Cyclic voltammetry studies indicated a clear pseudocapacitive nature of the electrodeposited Cu-Zn electrode material. The Cu-Zn redox electrode deposited for 30 min exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 699 F g−1 at a scan rate of 10 mV s−1. Moreover, the fabricated Cu-Zn electrode demonstrated an excellent capacitance retention of 84 % for 5000 consecutive charge–discharge cycles. The structural stability was also well maintained with an agglomerated spherical morphology filled with several nanorod-type structures. The results elucidate on the mechanisms for electrodeposition and effect of process parameters, such as applied voltage and deposition duration, on enhancing the electrode morphology and electrochemical behavior of Cu-Zn bimetallic electrodes. Our work provides an effective strategy for fabricating high-performance supercapacitor electrodes through a facile method.