Performance analysis of three distinct NixV2Oy single-phase nano self-assemblies for asymmetric supercapacitor fabrication and effective detection of low-concentration hazardous herbicide.

Abstract

Single-phase inorganic nanostructures with multiple applications are required for cost-effective, sustainable applications to save the environment from toxic activities. Nickel vanadate (NixV2Oy), possessing three phases, such as NiV2O6, Ni2V2O7, and Ni3V2O8, acts as an effective electrode material and potential electrochemical sensors. Nickel vanadate phases (NiV2O6, Ni2V2O7, and Ni3V2O8) were synthesized through the gel-matrix technique, and their phase purity, crystallinity, morphology, optical properties, etc., were evaluated and studied. Electrochemical studies infer that NiV2O6 exhibits the highest specific capacity of 251 C g-1 (69.7 mA h g-1) at 1 A g-1 compared to the other nickel vanadate phases and provides better cyclic stability of 80.19% for 5000 cycles. The asymmetric supercapacitor device fabricated from NiV2O6 results in a specific capacity of 189 C g-1 (52.5 mA h g-1), energy density of 59.06 W h kg-1, and a power density of 1125 W kg-1 with a capacitive retention rate of 74.91% and coulombic efficiency of 99.61% for 10 000 cycles. The electrochemical detection potential of NixV2Oy in bifenox herbicide has been studied with all the synthesized nanostructures. Among them, NiV2O6-based sensor probes demonstrated excellent characteristics, including high sensing current and low detection limits of 0.6 nM with a linear range of 1-57 nM. The real-time herbicide detection of NiV2O6 in live samples was checked with freshly harvested potatoes. This advancement further enhances the utilization of NixV2Oy materials for electrochemical applications.