Structural and functional tailoring of Ba0. 9Ca0. 1Ti0. 9Zr0. 1O3 ceramics with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for energy storage applications

Authors

• Ahmed I. Ali, Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Technology and Education, Helwan University, Saray El-Quba, Cairo, 11281, Egypt
• M. M. Maghawry, Production Technology Department, Faculty of Technology and Education, Helwan University, Saray El-Qupa, Cairo, 11281, Egypt
• Hani Nasser Abdelhamid, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), 11623, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Ahmed Ramzy, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, EgyptFollow
• Dongwhi Choi, Department of Mechanical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-Daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 17104, South Korea
• M. Arif, Department of Applied Physics, Integrated Education Institute for Frontier Science and Technology and Institute of Natural Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Korea
• Galal H. Ramzy, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
• Sabreen Abdallah Abdelwahab, Production Technology Department, Faculty of Technology and Education, Helwan University, Saray El-Qupa, Cairo, 11281, Egypt

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 10-28-2025

Abstract

Nanostructured Ba0.9Ca0.1Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCTZO) ceramics with varying contents of reduced graphene oxide (rGO, 0 ~ 1 wt.%) were synthesized via the solid-state method to explore their structural, dielectric, and electrochemical properties. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of a single-phase tetragonal perovskite structure for all compositions. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed uniformly distributed grains (100 ~ 150 nm), with rGO addition influencing grain growth initially promoting coarsening at low loadings and suppressing it at higher concentrations due to grain boundary pinning. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) verified the elemental composition, and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed the metal–oxygen bonding of the perovskite phase. Dielectric measurements exhibited typical frequency-dependent behavior, with decreasing permittivity (ε′, ε″) and loss tangent (tan δ), and increasing AC conductivity (σAC) with frequency. Electrochemical studies using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrated that rGO content strongly influences charge transfer and ion diffusion. The 0.6 wt.% rGO sample exhibited the lowest charge transfer resistance and efficient ionic transport, while the 0.4 wt.% rGO composition delivered the highest specific capacitance of 90 F/g at 1 A/g, achieving an optimal balance between conductivity and active material utilization. These findings highlight the potential of rGO-modified BCTZO ceramics as high-performance electrode materials for advanced energy storage applications including supercapacitors.

Recommended Citation

Ali, Ahmed I.; Maghawry, M. M.; Abdelhamid, Hani Nasser; Ramzy, Ahmed; Choi, Dongwhi; Arif, M.; Ramzy, Galal H.; and Abdallah Abdelwahab, Sabreen, "Structural and functional tailoring of Ba0. 9Ca0. 1Ti0. 9Zr0. 1O3 ceramics with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for energy storage applications" (2025). Nanotechnology Research Centre. 233.
https://buescholar.bue.edu.eg/nanotech_research_centre/233