Facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/CeO2 nanocomposites and their application in supercapacitors

The combination of the attractive properties of graphene with excellent characteristics of other functional nanomaterials has become a popular pathway for achieving applications in multiple fields. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/CeO2 nanocomposites with enhanced capacitive performance were designed and synthesized by a facile two-step approach with a self-assembly method followed by thermal treatment. The structure, morphology and composition of the resulting RGO/CeO2 nanocomposites were systematically investigated. The presence of RGO can prevent the aggregation and control the structures of the CeO2 nanocrystals in the annealing process. The nanocomposites as electrode materials for supercapacitor exhibited an enhanced capacitive performance due to the synergic effect between RGO nanosheets and CeO2 nanocrystals. The excellent capacitive performance of the RGO/CeO2 nanocomposites offer great promise for supercapacitor applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.