The Optimal Doping Ratio of Fe2O3 for Enhancing the Electrochemical Stability of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 for Energy Storage Devices

This paper aims to discover a novel composite material that has great potential for manufacturing high-performance supercapacitors suitable for diverse applications, such as electric vehicles, portable electronics, and stationary energy storage systems. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) doped by different concentrations up to 5 wt.% of nanosized Fe₂O₃ have been prepared (ZIF-8/Fe₂O₃). The effect of doping ratio 1, 3, and 5 wt.% on the structural and electrochemical properties of ZIF-8/Fe₂O₃ has been investigated. The structural characterization has been carried out using TGA, BET, XRD, and FTIR. The XRD analysis revealed that the crystalline size of our sample increased by approximately 16% as a result of doping ZIF-8 with 5 wt.% of Fe₂O₃. The structural analysis of the doped samples revealed that the material exhibited enhanced thermal stability and porosity, with an increase of approximately 105 m²/g. The introduction of doped nanometal oxides improved the capacitance value of ZIF-8 by significantly increasing its surface area. Additionally, the electron transport efficiency within ZIF-8/5 wt.% Fe₂O₃/electrode is increased. The Nyquist plot decreases as the doping of Fe₂O₃ increases. This indicates a decrease in the charge transfer resistance at the electrode–electrolyte interface, which is desired in applications such as batteries, fuel cells, or electrochemical sensors where faster electron transfer is needed for improved performance.