Structural, electron spin resonance, electrochemical energy storage and cytotoxicity properties of CeO2 /ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites

Abstract

Utilizing an auto-combustion technique, CeO 2 /ZnFe 2 O 4 nanocomposites (NCs) were created, which enabled the creation of highly effective electrochemical supercapacitors. The material was thoroughly analyzed in terms of its surface area, composition, chemical state, crystal structure, particle characteristics, and magnetic properties. These were examined using a range of methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The analysis brought the prepared NCs' remarkable crystalline quality. Electrochemical investigations were conducted in a 1 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte, utilizing techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). With a specific capacity (Cs) of 43.33 mAh/g at a current density (CD) of 0.25 A/g, the nanocomposite calcined at 600 degrees C demonstrated remarkable performance, outperforming the NC calcined at 700 degrees C, which had a Cs of 26.84 mAh/ g. Both the normal human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines were subjected to cell viability studies. This study seeks to understand how these NCs affect the viability or activity of these cells, which is crucial for identifying their prospective uses, particularly in disciplines such as medicine and biotechnology. These results highlight the amazing potential of NCs as electrode materials in a range of biomedical applications, including supercapacitors.