Tailoring crystallinity and conductivity in Pr₁₋ₓNiₓO perovskites for supercapacitor applications
摘要
Pr₁₋ₓNiₓO perovskite was synthesized to explore the electrochemical properties of pure praseodymium (Pr) and nickel-doped praseodymium oxide nanoparticles using the sol–gel method for supercapacitor applications. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed a stable perovskite structure with crystallite sizes of ~ 53.5 nm (Pr₆O₁₁) and ~ 39.6 nm (Pr₁₋ₓNiₓO). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed reduced particle size (~ 85 nm) in Ni-doped samples. BET analysis showed nearly doubled surface area and hierarchical porosity, increasing N₂ adsorption volume from ~ 38 to ~ 78 cm3/g upon Ni doping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of mixed oxidation states and oxygen vacancies. Williamson Hall and SSP plots revealed a crystallite size of ~ 43.46 nm and increased microstrain. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis revealed a maximum specific capacitance of 396 F/g at 10 mV/s, while galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) exhibited an even higher capacitance of 420 F/g at 1 A/g, indicating higher electrochemical capacitance under galvanostatic conditions. Cyclic stability analysis demonstrated exceptional capacitance retention of 97.2% for Ni-doped Pr₆O₁₁ after 5000 cycles, compared to 93.6% for the pure material, along with a consistent coulombic efficiency of ~ 95–97%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed reduced charge transfer resistance (3185.2 Ω), validating enhanced electrochemical kinetics. These results establish Pr₁₋ₓNiₓO as a promising material for high-performance supercapacitors.