Synthesis and Characterization of Nitrogen-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide for Supercapacitor Application

Abstract

Among the potential materials used in electrochemical devices, reduced graphene oxide (RGO-H) stands out owing to its high surface  area, outstanding electrical conductivity and strong mechanical properties. However, pristine graphene oxide has limitations of  restacking of layers. One effective strategy to enhance graphene’s properties is heteroatom doping, which introduces heteroatom atoms into the graphene structure, changing its electronic characteristics and improving its electrochemical performance. This research focused  on synthesizing and analyzing reduced graphene oxide doped nitrogen (N-RGO-H) using a sustainable approach, where the leaf  extract of Acacia ataxacantha serves as both the reducing agent and nitrogen dopant. The innovative use of plant extract provides a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical methods for nitrogen doping and reduction of graphene oxide. The  synthesized N-RGO-H material was characterized by means of a number of methods, vis a vis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy  (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm its successful doping and reduced structure. The  electrochemical performance of N-RGO-H was evaluated in an electrolyte containing 0.5 M H₂SO₄, and the material demonstrated a  specific capacitance of 203.5 Fg⁻¹ at 0.5 Ag⁻¹ current density. This enhanced capacitance is said to be due to the synergistic effects of  nitrogen doping, which introduces additional pseudo-capacitive sites and improves electrical-conductivity, and the high reduced- graphene-oxide’s surface area. The results indicated that the facile synthesis of N-RGOH has promising potential for application in high- performance supercapacitors, providing an effective combination of sustainability and enhanced electrochemical properties.