Synthesis and application of Fe3O4nanoparticles in electrochemical pseudocapacitor

Cubic phase magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have been synthesized with simple and effective co-precipitation methods using citric acid as a surfactant. The structure and particle size distribution of synthesized Fe3O4nanoparticles were examined with the help of a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The electrochemical behaviors of the Fe3O4nanoparticle electrode were analyzed using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) in an acidic medium. The Fe3O4electrode revealed a noticeable pseudocapacitive performance with a large specific capacitance of 126 Fg−1at a discharge current of 2.5 Ag−1. In addition, it showed a specific power of 311.9 Wkg−1and specific energy of 18.88 Wh kg−1. The cycle life test results after 5000 cycles explained that it could retain 52.6% of the initial capacitance.