Microwave-assisted synthesis of CeO2 and CeO2/Fe2O3 nanocomposite towards highly efficient energy storage devices
摘要
In this work, CeO₂/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites were prepared via a microwave-assisted synthesis route followed by annealing, aiming to overcome existing limitations and enhance supercapacitor performance. Comprehensive characterization using XRD, FTIR, FESEM-EDS, and BET analyses confirmed significant improvements in structural and textural features, such as enlarged surface area, higher porosity, and abundant redox-active sites. Electrochemical testing revealed a remarkable specific capacitance of 980 F g⁻1 at 1 A g⁻1, notably surpassing that of pristine CeO₂. When assembled into an asymmetric device (CeO₂/Fe₂O₃//AC), the system delivered an energy density of 24.2 Wh kg⁻1 and a power density of 500 W kg⁻1, while maintaining 92.3% of its initial capacitance after 8000 charge–discharge cycles and achieving nearly 97% coulombic efficiency. The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic coupling of CeO₂ and Fe₂O₃, which boosts redox activity, facilitates rapid charge transfer, and improves ion diffusion. These findings highlight the promise of microwave-assisted CeO₂/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites as candidates for next-generation high-performance supercapacitors.