Electrochemical supercapacitor performance of SnO2 quantum dots

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that aqua-stable SnO2 quantum dots exhibit superior electrochemical supercapacitor performance, including higher stability and lower capacitance loss over cycles, compared to larger nanoparticles.

Contribution

The paper provides a detailed analysis of SnO2 quantum dots' properties and their enhanced performance in supercapacitors, highlighting the role of surface effects and stability.

Findings

SnO2 QDs show only 9% capacitance loss at high scan rates.

Capacitance loss after 1000 cycles is less than 2% for QDs.

QDs outperform larger NPs in stability and cycle life.

Abstract

Metal oxide nanostructures are widely used in energy applications like super capacitors and Li-on battery. Smaller size nanocrystals show better stability, low ion diffusion time, higher-ion flux and low pulverization than bigger size nanocrystals during electrochemical operation. Studying the distinct properties of smaller size nanocrystals such as quantum dots (QDs) can improve the understanding on reasons behind the better performance and it will also help in using QDs or smaller size nanoparticles (NPs) more efficiently in different applications. Aqua stable pure SnO2 QDs with compositional stability and high surface to volume ratio are studied as an electrochemical super capacitor material and compared with bigger size NPs of size 25 nm. Electron energy-loss spectroscopic study of the QDs revealed dominant role of surface over the bulk. Temperature dependent study of low frequency Raman mode and defect Raman mode of QDs indicated no apparent volume change in the SnO2 QDs within the temperature range of 80-300 K. The specific capacitance of these high surface area and stable SnO2 QDs has showed only 9% loss while increasing the scan rate from 20 mV/S to 500 mV/S. Capacitance loss for the QDs is less than 2% after 1000 cycles of charging discharging, whereas for the 25 nm SnO2 NPs, the capacitance loss is 8% after 1000 cycles. Availability of excess open volume in QDs leading to no change in volume during the electro-chemical operation and good aqua stability is attributed to the better performance of QDs over bigger sized NPs.