Sol-Gel-Derived NiO/ZnO Thin Films with Single and Heterostructure Layers for Electrochemical Energy Storage

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Main Authors: Amina, Miss Nourin Nurain, Hossain, Md Noushad, Bashar, Muhammad Shahriar, Sultana, Munira, Mina, Md. Salahuddin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Amina, Miss Nourin Nurain
Hossain, Md Noushad
Bashar, Muhammad Shahriar
Sultana, Munira
Mina, Md. Salahuddin
author_facet Amina, Miss Nourin Nurain
Hossain, Md Noushad
Bashar, Muhammad Shahriar
Sultana, Munira
Mina, Md. Salahuddin
contents NiO/ZnO-based thin films, including single-layer and heterostructure configurations, were synthesized to investigate the influence of stacking order on their electrochemical performance for supercapacitor applications. To improve the relatively low capacitive performance of ZnO compared to NiO, NaCl was introduced as a dopant. All films were deposited using a non-vacuum spin-coating method on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates, chosen for their excellent electrical conductivity and stability as electrode materials. The surface morphology and structural parameters were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Optical properties were analyzed via UV-Vis spectroscopy, revealing direct band gaps in the range of 3.17-3.31 eV for ZnO and Na-ZnO, and wider gaps up to 3.81 eV for NiO. Electrochemical performance was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a three-electrode configuration with 1 M KOH as the electrolyte. Among the electrodes, the single-layer NiO film exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 1.391 Fg^{-1}. In contrast, the NiO/ZnO heterostructure demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in enhanced charge storage and achieving a maximum specific capacitance of 1.627 Fg^{-1} at a current density of 2.0 mA cm^{-2}. Furthermore, sodium doping significantly improved the capacitance of ZnO. Overall, the results highlight the potential of sol-gel-derived oxide heterostructures and doped thin films as cost-effective and scalable electrode materials for supercapacitors in portable electronics and energy storage systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_01479
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Sol-Gel-Derived NiO/ZnO Thin Films with Single and Heterostructure Layers for Electrochemical Energy Storage
Amina, Miss Nourin Nurain
Hossain, Md Noushad
Bashar, Muhammad Shahriar
Sultana, Munira
Mina, Md. Salahuddin
Materials Science
Applied Physics
NiO/ZnO-based thin films, including single-layer and heterostructure configurations, were synthesized to investigate the influence of stacking order on their electrochemical performance for supercapacitor applications. To improve the relatively low capacitive performance of ZnO compared to NiO, NaCl was introduced as a dopant. All films were deposited using a non-vacuum spin-coating method on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates, chosen for their excellent electrical conductivity and stability as electrode materials. The surface morphology and structural parameters were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Optical properties were analyzed via UV-Vis spectroscopy, revealing direct band gaps in the range of 3.17-3.31 eV for ZnO and Na-ZnO, and wider gaps up to 3.81 eV for NiO. Electrochemical performance was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a three-electrode configuration with 1 M KOH as the electrolyte. Among the electrodes, the single-layer NiO film exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 1.391 Fg^{-1}. In contrast, the NiO/ZnO heterostructure demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in enhanced charge storage and achieving a maximum specific capacitance of 1.627 Fg^{-1} at a current density of 2.0 mA cm^{-2}. Furthermore, sodium doping significantly improved the capacitance of ZnO. Overall, the results highlight the potential of sol-gel-derived oxide heterostructures and doped thin films as cost-effective and scalable electrode materials for supercapacitors in portable electronics and energy storage systems.
title Sol-Gel-Derived NiO/ZnO Thin Films with Single and Heterostructure Layers for Electrochemical Energy Storage
topic Materials Science
Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.01479