High-performance MoO3 supercapacitor electrodes: Influence of reaction parameters on phase, microstructure, and electrochemical properties

Abstract

A simple solution combustion technique was employed to synthesize nanocrystalline MoO3, and the influence of the fuel-to-oxidizer ratio (F/O ratio, from 1:2 to 1:5) and pH (from 5 to 9) was investigated on the phase, particle size, and morphology, while keeping the combustion temperature constant at 500 degrees C. By varying the F/O ratio and pH, different phases, namely, triclinic, monoclinic, hexagonal, and orthorhombic, were produced. The morphological features were observed to change from agglomerated nonuniform particles to uniform rod-like morphology, with particle sizes ranging from 50 to 100 nm. Based on the microstructural and electrochemical results, 1D alpha-MoO3 single-phase nanorods synthesized at a F/O ratio of 1:5 and pH = 7 delivered a high specific capacitance of 814 F/g at 1 A/g current density with excellent cycling stability.