A Novel Synthesis of ZnNb₂O₆ Nanoparticles via Combustion Method: Supercapacitor and Photocatalytic Properties

In light of the current study's demonstration of the synthesis of Zn doped niobium metal oxide a low‐cost approach is provided for the synthesis of ZnNb₂O₆ nanoparticles. Using the urea and oxalyl dihydrazide (ODH) as fuel and complexing agent, ZnNb₂O₆ NPs are synthesized via the solution combustion process. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that ZnNb₂O₆ has a columbite‐orthorhombic structure. The field emisssion‐scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) micrographs revealed the presence of uniform and spherically shaped morphology for ZnNb₂O₆. The role of ZnNb₂O₆ in the photocatalytic degradation of fuchsin acid dye is investigated under UV‐rays. The remarkable photocatalytic degradation activity of the material is demonstrated with 90% degradation rate. The fabricated electrode is used for the electrochemical analysis of the resultant material. The capacitance of 223 and 198 Fg⁻¹ at a scan rate of 5 Ag⁻¹, respectively, are measured in a 3‐electrode using the chemically generated ZnNb₂O₆, as per the Galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) experiment. Furthermore, it exhibited excellent cycling stability, maintaining over 85% of its initial capacitance even after 2000 cycles. The goal of this research is to develop a solution combustion method for synthesizing ZnNb₂O₆ NPs from urea and ODH so that it may be more effectively tested for electrochemical, sensing, and photocatalytic uses.