Rare earth doped bismuth molybdate nanoplatelets for boosting electrochemical performance: Facile synthesis and device fabrication

The poor rate performance with minimal specific capacitance (Csp) of bismuth molybdate restricts its viable application in high-end supercapacitors (SCs). Herein, bismuth molybdate nanocomposites have been investigated in both pristine and hybrid forms by microwave combustion method to tackle the problem. The prepared pristine and rare earth-doped bismuth molybdate nanocomposites have been investigated by different analytical techniques. In a three-electrode cell configuration, 5% Ce-doped bismuth molybdate nanocomposite electrode showed a Csp of 889.86 F g−1 at 1 mA cm−2 and superior rate performance. Furthermore in a two-electrode cell configuration, a symmetric SC device has been fabricated using pristine and rare earth (Ce and La)-doped bismuth molybdate nanocomposites. The 5% Ce-doped bismuth molybdate symmetric device output a higher Csp of 1092.18 F g−1 at 5 mV s−1 with an energy density of 24.71 Wh kg−1, surpassing the pristine and La-doped bismuth molybdate symmetric devices. These results propose that the doping strategy has the potential to improve the energy-storing capability of bismuth molybdates.