Supercapacitive Performance of Electrochemically Synthesized Samarium Cobalt Oxide Nanosheets and Nanoflowers

High energy and power density, good life cycle are highly sought in fabricating supercapacitors. In this study, Co3O4 was successfully deposited on nickel foam via electrochemical route. The nucleation of cobalt hydroxide and its transformation to oxide were monitored using chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry. Changes in current density and detected redox peaks suggest the electrochemical activity of Co3O4 in an alkaline media. A specific capacitance 1291 F/g at current density of 2.5 mA/cm was achieved showing the supercapacitive property of the synthesized Co3O4. EDX results confirms the incorporation of samarium to cobalt oxide. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals the evolution of nanosheets to nanoflowers as the electrochemical synthesis parameters were varied. The effect of morphology on the electrochemical activity and performance of Co3O4 with Samarium could pave way in developing high energy and power density electrode for supercapacitors.