Reduced Graphene Oxide/ZnO Nanorods Nanocomposite: Structural, Electrical and Electrochemical Properties

The present research work aimed to development of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and ZnO nanorods based rZN nanocomposite with different molar ratios. This nanocomposite was prepared using a simple, one-step thermal reaction method. The morphology, phase identification and crystalline properties of the nanocomposites were studied using SEM, TEM, SAED and XRD techniques. Further, EDS analysis was used for elemental conformation of the nanocomposite. Films of the nanocomposite were deposited on a substrate by the cost-effective spin coating technique and the resistivity was measured by a Hall measurement system, which shows a decrease in resistivity value. The electrochemical properties studied by measuring the specific capacitance using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques in 3 M KOH solution. These CV studies indicated that the positive synergistic effect of rGO and ZnO nanorods has shown excellent performance. The best results were obtained from the 1:2 ratio of rGO: ZnO, which demonstrated a specific capacitance of 472 F/g, an energy density of 2.62 Wh/kg, and a power density of 32.24 W/kg. These results concluded that rZN nanocomposites are promising electrode materials for supercapacitor applications.