The synthesis and characterization of graphene-based cobalt ferrite nanocomposite materials and its electrochemical properties

Cobalt ferrite/graphene nanocomposite materials were prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal method. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by a modified Hummers method. The surface morphologies and structures of CoFe2O4/graphene nanocomposite materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). SEM and TEM investigations unveiled that graphene sheets were uniformly well decorated by spherical cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (~ 3–6 nm). Electrochemical studies on CoFe2O4/graphene nanocomposite revealed the decline in the charge transfer resistance (~ 27 Ω), while on the other hand, higher corrosion current density (0.3837) and corrosion rates (0.00446) were observed. Cyclic voltammograms (CV) outcomes confirmed supercapacitor performance. The poor corrosion performance of the nanocomposite materials could be attributed to its higher conductivity.