Electrochemical deposition of PEDOT/MoS2 composite films for supercapacitors

Abstract

Composite materials based on conducting polymers and transitional metal chalcogenides have attracted considerable attention as electrode materials for supercapacitors. Molybdenum disulfide is a layered transitional metal dichalcogenide extensively researched in energy storage and conversion applications, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is an intrinsically conducting polymer that can act as a conductive matrix. We propose a single-step electrochemical deposition of PEDOT/MoS2 composite materials from the dispersion containing commercially available MoS2 platelets and EDOT monomer. Potentiodynamic, galvanostatic, and potentiostatic modes are all suitable for synthesis of the materials with predominant content of MoS2, which is attached to the current collector via conducting PEDOT matrix. The materials can work in various water-based electrolytes and combine capacitor-like and redox pseudocapacitive response. The composites deposited on graphite foil in assembled asymmetric cells with Kynol carbon cloth counter-electrode deliver up to 870 mF cm−2 areal capacitance in LiClO4 aqueous solution at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 due to combined capacitive input of both components.