Electrochemical Activity of TiO2 Nanoparticles in NaOH Electrolyte via Green Synthesis Using Calotropis gigantea Plant Leaf Extract

Abstract

Objectives: Green synthesis of Titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles using Calotropis gigantea (CG) plant leaf extract. Methods: Environmental eco-friendly green approach is used to synthesize nanostructured TiO 2 nanopar-ticles by using TiCl 4 as a precursor and C. gigantea plant leaf extract as a catalyst. The secondary metabolites in the CG plant leaf extract help to transform the Ti 4+ ions to TiO 2 nanoparticles. The detailed structural properties are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The phase formation and chemical state of the prepared samples are examined by Raman and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The vibrational frequencies between the bonds of atoms are studied with Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR). The electrochemical properties of green synthesized nanoparticles using cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique in aqueous electrolyte. Findings: XRD data conform to the tetragonal structure of TiO 2 in the rutile phase with P42/mnm space group and crystallite size is also found to be 9.84 nm. The SEM and TEM images show that the non-uniform spherical and flower-like shape of grains with an average grains size of 100 nm. The specific capaci-tance of the sample is estimated to be 238 F g-1 at a scan rate of 1 mV s-1 with good reversibility. Novelty: The novelty of this research lies in the fabrication of the electrode material with TiO 2 3D nanostructures for supercapacitor applications. This kind of morphology certainly enhances the surface area and leads to achieving better electrochemical performance.