Novel rhombus Co3O4-nanocapsule CuO heterohybrids for efficient photocatalytic water splitting and electrochemical energy storage applications

Abstract

The most appealing and prominent approach for improving energy storage and conversion performance is the development of heterojunction interfaces with efficient and unique metal oxide nanostructures. Rhombus Co3O4, nanocapsule CuO, and their heterojunction composites were synthesized using a single-step hydrothermal process. The resulting heterojunction Co3O4–CuO nanocomposite outperformed the pristine Co3O4 and CuO nanostructures for the electrochemical supercapacitor and water splitting performances. The composite showed 2.4 and 1.3 times higher specific capacitance than the associated pristine CuO and Co3O4 nanostructures, while its capacitance was 395 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. In addition, long-term GCD results with more than 90% stability and significant capacity retention at higher scan rates revealed the unaffected structures interfaced during the electrochemical reactions. The composite photoelectrode demonstrated more than 20% of photocurrent response with light illumination than the dark condition in water splitting. Co3O4–CuO heterostructured composite electrode showed a 0.16 mA/cm2 photocurrent density, which is 3.2 and 1.7 times higher than the pristine CuO and Co3O4 electrodes, respectively. This performance was attributed to its unique structural composition, high reactive sites, strong ion diffusion, and fast electron accessibility. Electron microscopic and spectroscopic techniques confirmed the properties of the electrodes as well as their morphological properties. Overall, the heterojunction interface with novel rhombus and capsule structured architectures showed good electrochemical performance, suggesting their energy storage and conversion applications.