Large-scale production of CdO/Cd(OH)(2) nanocomposites for non-enzyme sensing and supercapacitor applications

Recent advancements in electrode design are substantially linked to state-of-the-art nanomaterial fabrications. Herein, we report a simple one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of Cd(OH)(2) with a platelet-like morphology, which was subsequently annealed at relatively high temperatures to produce a CdO/Cd(OH)(2) nanocomposite for the first time. It was found that the control of thermal treatment allowed tunable charge transport across the nanometre scale due to the presence of CdO and Cd(OH)(2) mixed nanocrystals. The CdO/Cd(OH)(2) nanocrystals offer interesting prospects for the electrocatalytic oxidation of nitrite ions and for supercapacitor applications. The CdO/Cd(OH)(2) nanocomposite was blended with a trace amount of gold NPs for enhancing the electrochemical conductivity and electrocatalytic capability for nitrite oxidation with a sensitivity of 32.9 μA mM(−1). It afforded a promising electrocatalyst in a wide concentration range up to 10 mM with a low detection limit of 0.87 μM. Furthermore, the CdO/Cd(OH)(2) nanocomposite electrode was showed to be a highly active and stable supercapacitor, achieving a high specific capacitance in an alkaline medium of about 145 F g(−1) at a discharge current of 2.0 A g(−1). These results have revealed that the presence of mixed oxide/hydroxide nanocrystals in nanoscale dimensions will be very interesting for various electrochemical applications and provide for a new class of nanodevices based on electrochemistry with unique capabilities.