Facile synthesis of novel poly(1H-benzoindole)/WO3 nanocomposites with enhanced energy storage capability and its application in high-performance supercapacitor

Abstract

• Novel PBIn/WO 3 composites show good energy storage performance due to the synergistic effect of PBIn and WO 3 . • Asymmetric supercapacitor based on PBIn/WO 3 nanocomposites and PEDOT is constructed. • Supercapacitor shows high specific capacitance (122.25F g −1 ) and cycling stability (81.6% after 3000 cycles). Poly(1H-benzindole)/tungsten trioxide (PBIn/WO 3 ) nanocomposites are successfully prepared by simple hydrothermal synthesis and electrochemical polymerization. There is a synergistic effect in PBIn and WO 3 , which can enhance the electrochemical performance and make use of their respective performance advantages to make up for each other’s deficiencies. Among them, there is also good energy level matching, which can provide a favorable driving force for charge transfer. Moreover, the capacitive performance and electron migration rate of the composite material are enhanced due to the good electrical conductivity and charge storage capacity of PBIn. Hence, the PBIn/WO 3 nanocomposites possess a specific capacitance as high as 535.5F g −1 and enhanced charge transfer rate. Asymmetric supercapacitor devices based on PBIn/WO 3 nanocomposites and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) are successfully constructed, which show good specific capacitance (122.25F g −1 ) and cycling stability (81.6 % retention after 3000 cycles). The device exhibits maximum energy density of 38.2 Wh kg −1 and maximum power density of 966.7 W kg −1 . In the future field of energy storage, the PBIn/WO 3 nanocomposites prepared in this study may have broad application prospects.