RSC Applied Interfaces publishes interdisciplinary work with an applied focus, which can be read for free here. To celebrate the excellent articles that have been published so far in our journal, we asked some of our authors to discuss their work in more detail.
In this post, we hear from Anuradha Yadav, Manoj Kumar Singh and Chandra Sekhar Rout as they discuss their recently published article entitled ‘Magnetic-field-induced enhanced electrochemical energy storage performance of nickel cobalt phosphide‘.
Insights from the authors
This study investigates the impact of an applied magnetic field on supercapacitor performance. Among various conductive materials such as polymers, metal hydroxides, metal oxides, and metal chalcogenides, bimetallic phosphides stand out due to their structural stability and superior electrical conductivity. In particular, Nickel Cobalt Phosphide (NiCoP) offers advantages including low adsorption energy, high charge density, and strong synergistic interactions between nickel and cobalt, all of which facilitate redox activity. Under the influence of a magnetic field, dipole alignment within NiCoP significantly enhances its electrochemical performance, leading to an approximately 160% increase in capacitance at 400 G compared to the zero-field condition, while maintaining 100% coulombic efficiency in both cases. These findings highlight NiCoP as a highly promising candidate for advanced energy storage applications.
How do interfaces play a key role?
The applied magnetic field influences the thickness of the Nernst diffusion layer, thereby promoting the transport of electrolyte ions into the electrode. Additionally, a magnetic gradient force emerges due to the uneven distribution of charged species. By reducing the thickness of the Nernst layer, the magnetic field accelerates redox reactions and facilitates efficient pathways for both electron and ion movement, ultimately improving the charge storage capability of the electrode.
Highlights of the work
The performance of the supercapacitor was evaluated under both zero and applied magnetic field conditions. In the absence of a magnetic field, charged species are influenced solely by the electrostatic force arising from the applied potential. Upon introducing a magnetic field, an additional force component comes into play, promoting the movement of ions and facilitating their intercalation into the electrode material.
With the application of a magnetic field, NiCoP exhibited significantly improved electrochemical performance, achieving specific capacitances of 256.937 F g-1 at 200 G and 264.528 F g-1 at 400 G, compared to 102.085 F g-1 without any magnetic field. This corresponds to an enhancement of 151.7% at 200 G and 159.1% at 400 G. Additionally, the charge-transfer resistance decreased markedly from 8.727 Ω in the absence of a magnetic field to 2.249 Ω at 400 G, indicating improved electrical conductivity. Cycling stability tests conducted over 5000 cycles revealed capacitance retention of 57% under a 400 G magnetic field, whereas 85% retention was observed in the absence of a magnetic field.
Future perspectives
This highlights the promise of integrating magnetic effects with electrochemical processes to create high-performance supercapacitor materials. Magnetically assisted approaches may enable the design of multifunctional electrodes that leverage both electronic behaviour and hydrodynamics to improve energy storage capabilities. However, more research is needed to assess how magnetic fields influence such materials at larger scales and to evaluate their practicality in real-world devices. Looking ahead, self-magnetized systems that function without external magnetic fields could represent a compelling direction for future development.
Meet the authors
Anuradha Yadav
Anuradha Yadav is a PhD scholar working under the supervision of Prof. Manoj Kumar Singh from the Central University of Haryana (CUH), India and in close collaboration with Prof. Chandra Sekhar Rout, Centre for Nano and Material Sciences (CNMS), Jain University, India, in the field of energy storage devices. Her research focuses on the synthesis of nanomaterials and their composites for supercapacitor applications. She is particularly interested in the development of miniaturised and flexible microsupercapacitors, as well as investigating the effects of light and magnetic fields on supercapacitor performance.
Manoj Kumar Singh
Prof. Manoj Kumar Singh is a Professor of Physics at the Central University of Haryana (CUH), Gov. of India. He completed his Master’s from Lucknow University and earned a PhD from IIT Bombay in Dec., 2004. He worked at the University of South Florida, USA for about one and a half years and received two US patents. Later, he served at the University of Aveiro (EU-Portugal) (2006 – 2018) as senior scientist. He has published over 150 international papers, with an h-index of 53 and 13,000 citations. He also won the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT “Starting Grant (2013)”, participated in international conferences, and collaborated with institutions in the USA, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, and France.
Chandra Sekhar Rout
Prof. Chandra Sekhar Rout is a distinguished full professor at the Centre for Nano and Material Sciences (CNMS), Jain University. Prof. Rout earned his B.Sc. (2001) and M.Sc. (2003) degrees from Utkal University and completed his Ph.D. at JNCASR, Bangalore, in 2008 under the mentorship of Prof. C.N.R. Rao, Bharat Ratna awardee. He pursued postdoctoral research at the National University of Singapore (2008–2009), Purdue University, USA (2010–2012), and UNIST, South Korea (2012–2013). Prof. Rout serves as an associate editor for RSC Advances (Royal Society of Chemistry) and The American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Science Publications) and is a board member of various reputed journals.
Magnetic-field-induced enhanced electrochemical energy storage performance of nickel cobalt phosphide
Anuradha Yadav, Erdenebayar Baasanjav, Mihir Sahoo, Kalpataru Pradhan, Sang Mun Jeong, Manoj Kumar Singh and Chandra Sekhar Rout
RSC Appl. Interfaces, 2026, 3, 431-441. DOI: 10.1039/D5LF00288E
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RSC Applied Interfaces is a dedicated, interdisciplinary reference journal for cutting-edge research on the applications of surfaces and interfaces. In addition to the applied focus, work considered for publication in RSC Applied Interfaces is expected to be highly original and of top quality. The journal seeks to report major scientific advances beyond the state of the art, at the cutting edge of this interdisciplinary field. |