Enhancing supercapacitor, photovoltaic and magnetic properties of SnO2 nanoparticles doped with Cu and Zn ions.

In this study, Cu- and Zn-doped SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by using the solvothermal method. The synthesized NPs were explored to check their supercapacitor, photovoltaic and magnetic properties. The Cu-doped SnO2 NPs showed a high specific capacitance of 386 F g−1 at 20 mV s−1 in 1 M KOH electrolyte and remarkable catalytic performance as a counter electrode (CE) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.70%, comparable to that of Pt CE. Moreover, Cu-doped SnO2 NPs displayed the highest room-temperature ferromagnetism, indicating their potential for magnetic device applications. Our results suggest that doped SnO2 NPs are promising candidates for multifunctional nanomaterials in energy and information technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]