Green‐Derived Zn/ZnO Heterostructured Nanoparticles From Artemisia lerchiana as Supercapacitor Electrode Materials
Gunay Hasanova, Sabina Omarova, Rovshan Khalilov, Afat Mammadova, Mehmet Firat Baran, Abdulkadir Levent, Mehmet Tevfik Adican, Aziz Eftekhari, Taras Kavetskyy, Ondrej Šauša, Evgeny Katz, Oleh SmutokABSTRACT
This work reports the green synthesis of zinc/zinc oxide nanoparticles (Zn/ZnO NPs) using Artemisia lerchiana extract as a biogenic reducing and stabilizing agent and their application as electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage. The structural and physicochemical properties of the synthesized Zn/ZnO NPs were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, TEM–SEM, atomic force microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, supporting the formation of crystalline Zn/ZnO nanostructures containing ZnO and metallic Zn phases. The electrochemical performance of Zn/ZnO NPs‐based electrodes was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in different electrolyte media. The Zn/ZnO NPs‐modified electrodes exhibited combined electrical double‐layer and surface‐controlled pseudocapacitive behavior, with the highest electrochemical performance achieved in neutral Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte. Galvanostatic measurements revealed a specific capacitance of 329.7 F g − 1 at 0.06 A g − 1 and good cycling stability with 86.7% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed low equivalent series resistance, efficient ion diffusion, and favorable charge‐transfer kinetics in neutral electrolyte media. These findings demonstrate that plant‐mediated Zn/ZnO nanostructures can serve as efficient and sustainable electrode materials for next‐generation electrochemical energy‐storage devices.