From nanograins to energy gains: Substrate temperature-driven performance in zinc ferrite thin films
摘要
The growing demand for efficient energy storage systems has spotlighted electrochemical supercapacitors as promising candidates. This study focuses on the synthesis of ZnFe₂O₄ thin films via spray pyrolysis at varying substrate temperatures, and investigates their structural, morphological, elemental, optical, and electrochemical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of a cubic spinel structure, while field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed a spherical nanogranular morphology. Electrochemical testing demonstrated that films deposited at 400 °C achieved the highest specific capacitance of 349 F g⁻1 at 1 mA cm⁻2 current density. Furthermore, the films retained 79.78% of their capacitance after 5000 cycles at 5 mA cm⁻2 current density. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed a low solution resistance of 0.34 Ω and a charge transfer resistance of 12.30 Ω. These findings underscore the potential of ZnFe₂O₄ thin films as high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitor applications.