CuO nanoparticles mixed with activated BC extracted from algae as promising material for supercapacitor electrodes

Marwah Ahmed Alsharif; Aishah Alatawi; Taymour A Hamdalla; S Alfadhli; A A A Darwish

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-49760-4

CuO nanoparticles mixed with activated BC extracted from algae as promising material for supercapacitor electrodes

Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 15;13(1):22321. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-49760-4.

Authors

Marwah Ahmed Alsharif¹, Aishah Alatawi², Taymour A Hamdalla^{3

4}, S Alfadhli¹, A A A Darwish¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, 71491, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, 71491, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, 71491, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. t-ahmed@ut.edu.sa.
⁴ Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. t-ahmed@ut.edu.sa.

Abstract

The present analysis aims to use existing resources to lower the cost of electrodes and reduce environmental pollution by utilizing waste materials like green algae. In the present research, the hydrothermal carbonization technique was utilized to synthesize a nano sized CuO mixed with activated biochar (CuO@BC) extracted from red sea algae (Chlorophyta). The CuO@BC sample was extensively examined using several advanced physical techniques, such as UV/Visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XED, HRTEM, SEM, EDX, BET, and TGA. The HRTEM indicated that the size of the particles is 32 nm with a larger surface area and without aggregations. The BET analysis of CuO@BC indicates that the material contains pores of a relatively large size and with a pore diameter of about 42.56 A°. The electrochemical analysis of CuO@BC modified glassy carbon electrode CuO@BC/GCE has been investigated using CV, GCD, and EIS techniques. This CuO@BC/GCE shows excellent electrochemical features that are significant for energy storage applications. The CuO@BC/GCE showed a specific capacitance of approximately 353 Fg^-1 which is higher compared to individual materials. Overall, the research outcomes suggest that the CuO@BC/GCE shows potential for use in high-performance supercapacitors as energy storage systems that are eco-friendly and sustainable.

MeSH terms

Carbon
Copper* / chemistry
Electrodes
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Nanoparticles*

Substances

Copper
Carbon

Grants and funding

0032-1442-S/University of Tabuk