Nanomagnetic strontium ferrite nitrogen doped carbon (SrFe2O4-NC): Synthesis, characterization and excellent supercapacitor performance

Abstract

A novel nitrogen-doped carbon strontium ferrite (SrFe2O4-NC) nanocomposite with a particle size of 8–10 nm was obtained using the polymeric route. Bimetallic precursors based on iron (III) and strontium chloride were produced with urea and formaldehyde polymers and the precursors were heated at 700 °C in an inert atmosphere to form the SrFe2O4-NC nanocomposite with high surface area (approximately 170.4 m2/g). The prepared SrFe2O4-NC nanocomposite shows ferromagnetic nature with saturation magnetization value of approximately 15 emu/g. Using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the supercapacitor capabilities of the SrFe2O4-NC nanocomposite were investigated in 5 M KOH. The SrFe2O4-NC nanocomposite electrode material demonstrates a higher specific capacitance of approximately 895 F/g. High performance of the supercapacitor could be due to their good cyclic stability, high charge - discharge rate, and high energy density. As a result, our focus was on the fabrication of cost-effective and higher performance electrode materials.