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Vol. 38 No. 5 (2026): Vol 38, Issue 5, 2026

Copyright (c) 2026 P.Palani Murugan, P.Sakthivel, T.Suresh, C.Nirmala; M.Obulichetty, S.Subramanian, S.Annapoorani, S.Manikandakumar; A.Selvaraj, S Rameshkumar

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Interfacial Modulation and Capacity Improvement of Ni-Cd Cells using an Oxadiazole based Electrolyte Additive

https://doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2026.35474
P. Palani Murugan
Department of Chemistry, Sri Vasavi College, Erode-638316, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1207-9603
P. Sakthivel
Department of Nano Science and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641046, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2269-021X
T. Suresh
Department of Chemistry, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641046, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2655-711X
K. Velumani
Department of Chemistry, Sri Vasavi College, Erode-638316, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6224-6418
C. Nirmala
Department of Chemistry, Akshaya College of Engineering and Technology, Kinathukadavu-642109, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7880-8075
M. Obulichetty
Department of Applied Science, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore-641004, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3510-9773
S.S. Subramanian
Department of Applied Science, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore-641004, India
S. Annapoorani
Department of Chemistry, LRG Government Arts College for Women, Tiruppur-641604, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8046-1416
S. Manikandakumar
Department of Chemistry, Sri Vasavi College, Erode-638316, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6759-896X
A. Selvaraj
Department of Chemistry, CBM College, Coimbatore-641042, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0326-6818
S. Rameshkumar
Department of Chemistry, Sri Vasavi College, Erode-638316, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3044-6594

Corresponding Author(s) : S. Rameshkumar

srksvc2016@gmail.com

Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 38 No. 5 (2026): Vol 38, Issue 5, 2026

Abstract

This work investigates the influence of the heterocyclic organic additive 5-(4-dimethylamino)phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione on the electrochemical behaviour of Ni-Cd cells in 35% KOH electrolyte. The compound was synthesised in a two-step process using 4-(N,N'-dimethylamino)methyl benzoate and hydrazine hydrate. Its structure was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry demonstrated a distinct decrease in charge-transfer resistance, increase in the ion diffusion and higher reversibility of both the Ni(OH)2/ NiOOH and Cd/Cd(OH)2 redox couples in the presence of the additive. Successive cycle charge-discharge studies show that in the later cycles there is a higher discharge potential, increased stability and better capacity retention of the cells compared to blank and CMC-modified cells. Capacity output tests also indicate that the additive inhibits the formation of Cd(OH)2 and Cd(OH)2 in the porous electrode matrix, polarisation and effective exploitation of the active material, especially at low and moderate discharge rates. Based on the results, it is confirmed that 5-(4-dimethylamino)phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione functions as an effective electrolyte modifier, significantly enhancing electrode kinetics, cycling stability and discharge performance in Ni-Cd systems, thereby provides a viable pathway to enhance the performance of alkaline batteries.

Keywords

Ni-Cd battery Electrolyte additive 1,3,4-Oxadiazole-2-thione Charge discharge properties
(1)
Murugan, P. P.; Sakthivel, P.; Suresh, T.; Velumani, K.; Nirmala, C.; Obulichetty, M.; Subramanian, S.; Annapoorani, S.; Manikandakumar, S.; Selvaraj, A. Interfacial Modulation and Capacity Improvement of Ni-Cd Cells Using an Oxadiazole Based Electrolyte Additive. ajc 2026, 38, 1117-1126.
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