Influence of 2D template-assisted (SBA-15) metal oxide CoO for pseudocapacitive and dye degradation application.

Cobalt oxide (CoO) is a low-cost material exhibiting excellent physicochemical and photocatalytic properties indicating its potential use for next-generation eco-friendly energy storage and photocatalytic degradation applications. In this study, CoO nanoarcs were synthesized using SBA-15 as a template by microwave-assisted method to form an S15/m-CoO product. Characterization was done by low and wide-angle X-Ray diffraction, and Fourier transformed infra-red spectroscopic studies confirming the presence of S15/m-CoO. Scanning Electron Microscope images proved the agglomerated nanotube and nanoarcs like the structure of SBA-15 and S15/m- CoO, respectively. Electrochemical studies included cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge, retention capacity, and electron impedance spectroscopy studies in a 3-electrode system. S15/m-CoO nanoarcs, as the electrode material, was revealed to have a specific capacity of 87.5 C/g in 1 M KOH solution. Upon running 1000 cycles, the material had excellent capacity retention of 87%. The S15/m-CoO product also underwent photocatalytic degradation studies. The Rhodamine R6G dye degradation by S15/m-CoO under UV irradiation exhibited a high degradation percentage of 97.7%, following the first-order kinetics. S15/m-CoO has proven to be biocompatible and can be used to enhance supercapacitors which are an ideal alternative to conventional batteries for energy storage applications. Thus, the data produced proves S15/m-CoO nanoarcs is an excellent electrode material for pseudocapacitive application and a catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of dye molecules.