LAUSR

Abstract Heterostructure CeO2-CuO (0.01–0.1 M) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by one-step method. The CeO2-CuO nanocomposites has been developed for electrochemical supercapacitor and sensor applications. Structural and surface information of the product were investigated by high resolution TEM. XPS energy bands indicated the presence of Ce 3d and Cu 2p in nanocomposites. Also, a significant Raman shift from 468 to 460 cm−1 supported the formation of nanocomposites. The CeO2-CuO/GCE modified electrode exhibits an excellent sensitivity of 356.3 μA cm−2 mM−1 and low detection limit of 0.01 mM over a linear concentration range upto 5 mM nitrite. In addition, the CeO2-CuO nanocomposite exhibits excellent specific capacitance of 396 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 in 1 M LiClO4 electrolyte. The novel electrode demonstrated with a high energy density of 96 Wh kg−1 and a maximum power density of 2 W kg−1. This work demonstrates that CeO2-CuO nanocomposites have great potential to contribute significantly toward multi-functional energy applications.