ZnFe-MOF derived ZnO/ZnFe2O4 nanocomposite as an electrode material for supercapacitor application.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOF) derived transition metal oxides-based nanocomposites have a great potential for electrochemical energy storage application due to their electrical conductivity and high theoretical capacitance. Herein, the ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite-based electrode materials were derived from bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (ZnFe-MOFs) through thermal treatment at 300 °C, 500 and 700 °C for electrode application in electrochemical supercapacitor. The structural and morphological of the synthesized electrode materials were studied using powder XRD, HE-SEM, TEM, and XPS characterization techniques. All the thermally treated MOFs converted into ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite form and the crystallinity of ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite gradually increased with temperatures. Interestingly, the ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ electrode material obtained at 500 °C (Zn-Fe-500) exhibits exceptional specific capacitance of 636.14 F g⁻¹ @1 A g⁻¹, surpassing those prepared at both lower (300 °C) and higher (700 °C) temperatures. The enhancement in the specific capacitance of Zn-Fe-500 is due to decreased resistivity when compared with other electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]