Synthesis of a high-capacitance supercapacitor electrode material Pr2CoCrO6 and study of its structural, magnetic and optical properties

In this investigation, we have synthesized Pr 2 CoCrO 6 (PCCO), a double perovskite compound, for the first time using facile sol-gel method. This compound displays a significantly high specific device capacitance of 240 Fg −1 and electrode capacitance of 430 Fg −1 where 8.33 Whkg −1 is the energy density and 124.95 Wkg −1 is the power density at a current density of 1 Ag −1 in a symmetric two-electrode system that resembles the real capacitor device owing to multistage cationic ordering of cobalt and chromium cations confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It also demonstrates high capacitance retention of 98.5% up to 10,000 charging-discharging cycles. Along with electrochemical properties, the structural, morphological, magnetic, and optical properties were also studied. Structural and morphological properties reveal the formation of nanoparticles with average size of 57 nm in a single phase. Magnetic characterization determines promising magnetic features with a high transition temperature of T N 1 = 218 K and an exhibition of magnetic reversal below T c o m p = 21 K, due to antisymmetric Dzyaloshinskii–Moriy (DM) interaction between Co and Cr ions and antiparallel polarization of the Pr 3+ ion. Due to this feature, this PCCO compound is highly implementable in next-generation spintronic devices. Finally, the optical feature unveils its ultraviolet (UV) light harvesting potential, mostly having a bandgap of 2.9 eV. Band edge position obtained from bandgap calculation demonstrates its promising capabilities of photocatalytic H 2 and O 2 production from H 2 O. After all, PCCO is the most demanding material for supercapacitors, next-generation spintronics devices, and photocatalytic water splitting. • Synthesized nanomaterials exhibit a high per electrode capacitance of 430 Fg −1 . • It also demonstrates high capacitance retention of 98.5% up to 10,000 cycles. • Magnetic transition was achieved at a higher temperature of approximately 218 K. • Negative magnetization was observed below T c o m p = 21 K. • Band edge position shows great photocatalytic potential of H 2 and O 2 production.