Synthesis of phyto-mediated CuO-ZrO2 nanocomposite and investigation of their role as electrode material for supercapacitor and water splitting studies

The present research focused on environmentally benign synthesis of CuO-ZrO2 nanocomposite using bioactive compounds of A. viridis. Phase analysis of CuO-ZrO2 using Xray diffraction revealed the crystal size of 30.3 nm. Scanning electron microscope showed spherical-shaped nanoparticles of 88 nm size. The band gap value of 2.25 eV was obtained. The synthesized CuO-ZrO2 material was further investigated as electrode material for supercapacitor and water splitting studies. Cyclic voltammetry was used to estimate the specific capacitance value of 374.7 F/g, and galvanostatic charge discharge was used to determine the specific capacitance value of 286.3 F/g. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were used to conduct HER and OER experiments. Tafel value of 143 mV/dec and overpotential value of 225 mV was recorded for composite by LSV for hydrogen evolution reaction.

Automated summary

This research focuses on the environmentally friendly synthesis of CuO-ZrO2 nanocomposites using bioactive compounds of A. viridis. The synthesized material shows promising properties for supercapacitor and water splitting applications, with high specific capacitance and efficient catalytic activity.