Efficient Fabrication of Nanostructures Using a Combination of Bimetallic and Imidazolate Frameworks for Enhanced Supercapacitors and Electrochemical Sensing Applications

A nanomatrix containing molybdate (MoO3) anchored on a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) supporting CoNi metal oxide framework (MOF) has been prepared. The synthesized nanocomposite possesses a high surface area of 333.66 m2 g-1, and it contains a mixture of meso-and macroporous structures. When implicating the nanostructure as an electrode material, the highest specific capacitance of 1260 F g-1 is obtained for the appropriate ratio of the MOF. The superior nanocomposite is deposited on carbon cloth and further tested as an electrode in a coin-cell-based (C2N1MZ||NGT) hybrid supercapacitor device, which exhibits a capacitance of 363 F g-1. The nanocomposite is further used as a transducer in electrochemical sensing of theophylline (TP). Square-wave voltammetry suggested that the nanomatrix exhibited creditable electrocatalytic activity and delivered a stable redox peak for different concentrations of TP ranging from 1 mu M to 5 M. The limit of detection of the electrochemical sensor is calculated to be 75.4 nM, which suggests the practicality of the sensor. Therefore, the obtained results indicate that the prepared nanocomposite is suitable for energy and sensing applications.