Fabrication of binary metal phosphate-based binder-free electrode for new generation energy storage device

This study aims to optimize the fabrication parameters of nickel‑iron phosphate (NiFe-P) electrode to achieve a high areal capacity electrode for supercapattery. The fabrication of binder-free NiFe-P electrode on nickel foam (NF) employs a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method. Further, central composite design (CCD) under the response surface methodology (RSM) is used to optimize the electrode's performance. The factors evaluated are synthesis temperature (60 to 180 °C), time (6 to 24 h), and the molar ratio of precursor solution (1:3, 1:1, 3:1 of Fe: Ni), whereas the response is the areal capacity of NiFe-P electrode at the scan rate of 3 mV/s in a standard three-electrode cell system. The optimal temperature, time, and molar ratio (Fe:Ni) are determined to be 100 °C, 14 h, and 3:1, respectively. The model is confirmed within the confidence interval and prediction as well as comparable with a 10% percentage error between the experimental and predicted specific capacity. The specific capacity of the optimized electrode is 446 C/g at a scan rate of 3 mV/s using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and 413.75 C/g at a current density of 1 A/g in 1 M KOH using a standard three-electrode cell system. Supercapattery is fabricated by combining NiFe-P and activated carbon electrodes (NiFe-P//AC) as positive and negative electrodes, respectively, to evaluate the two-electrode cell system. The results show the maximum power density of NiFe-P//AC supercapattery is 2250 W/kg at an energy density of 45.6 Wh/kg. Furthermore, the NiFe-P//AC supercapattery demonstrated excellent stability and coulombic efficiency by retaining 87.6% and 98.7% of the initial specific capacity values and coulombic efficiency, respectively.