Super capacitor, electrochemical measurement and sun light driven photocatalytic applications of CuFe2O4 NPs synthesized from bio-resource extract

Abstract

The CuFe2O4 nanoparticle has been successfully synthesized from bio-mediated (Aloe-Vera) combustion process. The structural characterization of synthesized nanoparticle was achieved by spectral-characterizations viz; XRD, SEM, FT-IR and optical examinations. The XRD studies displays a spinel cubic phase development of nanoparticle and its average-particle size (19.3 ​nm). Low band gap energy of synthesized nanoparticle has been recorded to be 2.84 ​eV using UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy, which impacts to higher photodegradation efficiency. The potential photocatalytic activity of synthesized nanoparticle was examined using Malachite Green (MG) organic dye as a model, which is performed under specific quantities of stock solution (60 ​ppm) and obtained nanoparticle (50 ​mg). The photodegradation efficiency of synthesized material was evaluated for MG dye degradation achieved with 87.5% at 140 ​min under Sun-light. The excellent oxidation-reduction peak potentials were observed for synthesized spinel ferrite nanoparticle modified with carbon paste investigated by electrochemical analysis using 0.1 ​M KCl in the different scan rates 0.01–0.05 ​V/s. The charge-discharge studies of CuFe2O4-graphite electrode at current density (0.4 A/g) was discussed which is well correspondence to pseudo-capacitive behaviour. The synthesized NPs through bio-resources extract has become a potential new insight into multiple practical applications.

Keywords

• Aloe vera extract
• CuFe2O4 nanoparticle
• Electrochemical analysis and photocatalysis