Abstract
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•Fabrication of fullerene based La2O3-ZnO@C60 core–shell nanocomposite.•Superior electrochemical pseudo-capacitance with outstanding cyclic stability.•Complete photodegradation of MB in 40 min under UV light.•Efficient charge separation and lower recombination.•Multi-functional material for supercapacitor electrodes and photocatalyst.
Fullerene (C60)-based carbon materials are attracting the attention of researchers because of their large surface area, three-dimensional structure, tunable architectures, and high chemical stability. In this study, the core–shell nanocomposite of lanthanum oxide (La2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), and C60 was prepared via the solution method. Transmission electron microscope(TEM) images confirmed the development of core–shell with La2O3-ZnO (core) and C60 (shell). The photodegradation test against methylene blue (MB) dye showed complete degradation after 40 min. The electrochemical performance of La2O3-ZnO@C60 exposed large pseudo-capacitance, reversible Faradic charge-storage mechanism, and outstanding cyclic stability (93 % retention after 1000th cycle) and exhibited superior specific capacitance of 2135F/g at 0.05 A/g with a remarkable energy density of 47.44 Wh/kg at the power density of 2.26 KW/kg. Thus, La2O3-ZnO@C60 displayed dual functions, such as energy storage materials for next-generation supercapacitor electrodes and an efficient photocatalyst.