Fabrication of NiO–CuO decorated polyaniline (PANI/NiO–CuO) nanocomposite based symmetric supercapacitor device for high-energy density performance with wide potential window in aqueous electrolyte

Abstract

We present a ternary nanocomposite material composed of polyaniline, nickel oxide, and copper oxide (PANI/ NiO–CuO NC) synthesized through a cost-effective, eco-friendly green soft template for high-performance supercapacitor applications. The specific capacitance was measured to be 490 F/g when scanned at a rate of 10 mV/s in a wide voltage range of −1.0 V to +1.0 V. The material demonstrated good capacity retention of 69% after 10,000 cycles using an aqueous electrolyte (0.1 M Na2SO4) under ambient conditions. This material overcomes the limitations of the parent materials, specifically the instability of polyaniline polymer chains and hindered charge mobility in nickel oxide. Additionally, the fabricated symmetric supercapacitor device made of the synthesized PANI/ NiO–CuO nanocomposite showed a capability to work within a 1.6 V voltage range and had a specific capacitance of 157.50 F/g at a current density of 3.5 A/g. The device also displayed a high energy density of 35.00 Wh/kg at a power density of 1326.31 W/kg and had good durability with 86 % retention of specific capacitance after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles. Moreover, this study demonstrated an effective synthesis approach in developing nanocomposites; It can be used as an excellent nanocomposite device for energy storage.