Scalable Synthesis of Atomically Thin Gallium Telluride Nanosheets for Supercapacitor Applications

An easily scalable fabrication method has been explored to obtain atomically thin gallium telluride (GaTe), which opens up new prospective applications of this well-known material. Due to nanostructuring, the optical and electrochemical properties of 2D GaTe at room temperature see remarkable improvements. The effects of surface defects on the optical properties have also been demonstrated. The performance of atomically thin GaTe as a supercapacitor is investigated. It shows a significantly high specific capacitance, 14 F g-1 (without additive/composite forms). As a function of cycling, exfoliated GaTe exhibits 96% charge retention (10 000 cycles), confirming high material stability. H/H2 adsorption studies using density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the defects in 2D GaTe impart the desired properties. Hence, 2D GaTe is useful in storage device applications and also as a stable electrode material. DFT simulations were also used to gain insights into the semiconducting behavior of the material, which can be utilized to tune the electrochemical and optical properties.