Capacitive Behaviour of Imidazole Azo Modified Carbon Nanotubes/Polypyrrole Composite in Aqueous Electrolytes

Abstract

Here, we reported imidazole azo (Im) modified carbon nanotubes (CNT) grafted polypyrrole (PPy) via the chemical oxidation method. The synthesized hybrid material has shown a unique structure consisting of carbon nanotubes with a conductive network via polypyrrole. The presence of Im derivatives has helped CNTs to enhance their electrochemical performances. The as synthesized composite was characterized using various techniques like FT-IR, XRD, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy. The morphological studies were performed using SEM technique which also confirmed the nature of the composite. The electrochemical performances of the electrode material were investigated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in various electrolytes. The best performance of the electrode material was observed in 1 M H2SO4 with a specific capacitance of 305 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. The electrode material also showed a coulombic efficiency of 96% even after 5000 cycles.