Synthesis of tin oxide/graphene (SnO2/G) nanocomposite and its electrochemical properties for supercapacitor applications

Tin oxide/graphene (SnO2/G) nanocomposites were prepared by a simple wet chemical route and the as prepared nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The characterized results showed the tetragonal structure of SnO2 nanostructures on uniform distribution on graphene sheets with a particle size of similar to 50 nm. The reduction of graphene oxide to graphene during SnO2/G synthesis was confirmed from FTIR analysis. HRTEM analysis showed that the individual SnO2 nanoparticles deposited on graphene sheets. The electrochemical performances of SnO2/G nanocomposites towards super capacitors were studied in 6M KOH electrolyte. A maximum specific capacitance of 818.6 Fig was obtained for SnO2/G-a composite at 5 mV/s scan rate suggesting that the presence of graphene matrix in SnO2 nanoparticles have enhanced the electrochemical behaviour of SnO2. The galvanostatic charge/discharge studies confirmed the good cyclic stability of the composite electrode. These excellent electrochemical properties suggested that the SnO2/G nanocomposites could be used for high energy density supercapacitor electrode materials. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.