Integrated Magnetic and Energy Storage Properties of Nickel Cobaltite/Graphene/Iron Oxide Hybrid Nanomaterials
Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
Date Issued
2026
Author(s)
Kavinkumar, T.
Reddy, N. Ramesh
Ramadoss, Ananthakumar
Mani, Durai
Durai, Mathivanan
Pabba, Durga Prasad
Chidhambaram, N.
Dineshbabu, N.
Shanmugaraj, Krishnamoorthy
Morel, Mauricio J.
Mangalaraja, Ramalinga Viswanathan
Abarzua, Carolina Venegas
Thirumurugan, Arun
Abstract
Hybrid nanostructures combining metal oxides with carbon-based materials offer significant promise for multifunctional applications such as energy storage and magnetism. In this study, a magnetic ternary nanocomposite consisting of NiCo2O4/Fe3O4/rGO was synthesized via a modified chemical oxidation method for supercapacitor applications. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the phase purity of NiCo2O4 with an average crystallite size of similar to 11 nm. Morphological analysis using SEM and TEM revealed a porous structure composed of hexagonal NiCo2O4 plates (120-240 nm), Fe3O4 nanoparticles (20-150 nm), and interconnected reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets extending a few micrometers. Vibrating Sample Magnetometry studies indicated a moderate saturation magnetization of 40 emu/g. Electrochemical characterization demonstrated that the NiCo2O4/Fe3O4/rGO electrode delivered a high specific capacity of 173.5 C/g at 0.5 A/g, along with excellent cycling stability, retaining 87.1% of its capacity over 8000 cycles at 10 A/g. The improved performance is attributed to the synergistic integration of conductive rGO and magnetic Fe3O4 into the NiCo2O4 matrix, which enhances ion diffusion, electrical conductivity, and mechanical integrity while increasing the number of electroactive sites. These results establish the NiCo2O4/Fe3O4/rGO nanocomposite as a robust and efficient electrode material for next-generation high-performance supercapacitors.


