Energy storage potential of sprayed α-MoO3 thin films

Abstract

Emerging energy storage electrodes synthesized with controlled morphology are of great importance to enhance supercapacitor properties including specific capacitance (SC). In this study, polycrystalline orthorhombic alpha-molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO₃) thin films of different morphologies are deposited over a fluorine-tin oxide (FTO) 3D conducting substrate at various deposition temperatures using spray pyrolysis chemical method. The electrochemical properties of the α-MoO₃ thin film electrode supercapacitors were performed using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge curves recorded at different scan rates and applied current densities. The nanosheet-type α-MoO₃ electrode material prepared at 400 °C on envisaging in supercapacitor applications has endowed a specific capacitance (SC) of 1249.2 F g⁻¹ and cycling stability of 85% even after 5000 cycles, suggesting the importance of the α-MoO₃ electrode material in energy storage supercapacitor devices. This work affords a morphology engineering method for supercapacitor applications, which can be extended for implications in other technologies including gas sensors, solar cells, and catalysis.