ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Electrochemical assessment of nanostructured phosphorus-doped Fe₂O₃ via diatomite template as a pseudocapacitive electrode material

Eugene Sefa Appiah, Samuel Olukayode Akinwamide, Eric A. K. Fangnon, Kwadwo Mensah-Darkwa, Anthony Andrews, Frank Ofori Agyemang, Martinson Addo Nartey, Katlego Makgopa, Mahadeen N. Nashiru, and Pedro Vilaca

Department of Sustainable Mineral Resource Development, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana

E-mail: eugene.appiah@aalto.fi

Received: 25 March 2025  Accepted: 20 August 2025

Abstract:

Iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) holds great potential for supercapacitors because of its abundance and affordability, but it often experiences limitations due to its poor cyclic stability and specific capacitance. A hierarchically porous phosphorus-doped Fe₂O₃ electrode material (Diatomite@P-Fe₂O₃) was synthesized using a diatomite template to address these issues. This approach improves ionic diffusion and structural stability. The diatomite template, known for its high porosity, was treated to remove impurities and then used to create a 3D network structure. Hydrothermal treatment achieved phosphorus doping, resulting in enhanced surface area and capacitance. The synthesized material exhibited an impressive specific capacitance of 1050 F/g at 1 mV/s and retained a capacity of 98.92% after 5000 cycles at 1 A/g. This study presents a new way to improve the performance of Fe₂O₃-based supercapacitor electrode material.

Keywords: Iron oxide (Fe2O3); Phosphorus-doped iron oxide; Diatomite template; Enhanced capacitance; Cycling stability

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04338-4

Chemical Papers 79 (10) 7235–7246 (2025)