Scalable synthesis of FeCo₂O₄ nanostructured electrodes on flexible stainless-steel mesh via chemical bath deposition for supercapacitor applications
Abstract
FeCo₂O₄ thin films were successfully deposited onto stainless steel mesh (SSM) substrates using a simple, scalable, and binder-free chemical bath deposition method. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating FeCo₂O₄ thin films directly deposited on SSM as binder-free electrodes for supercapacitor applications. The conductive SSM promoted strong adhesion and efficient charge transport, while the nanostructured FeCo₂O₄ morphology enhanced electrolyte-ion diffusion. The FeCo₂O₄ film deposited for 3 hours exhibited a higher specific capacitance of 739 F g⁻¹ at 1 mA cm⁻², compared to 522 F g⁻¹ of the film formed for 2 hours under identical conditions. The corresponding energy densities were calculated as 23 and 16 Wh kg⁻¹, respectively, confirming the improved electrochemical performance with increased deposition time. These results demonstrate that optimized deposition time significantly enhances the charge-storage performance of FeCo₂O₄/SSM electrodes, highlighting their potential for high-performance supercapacitor applications.