Hybrid supercapacitor battery-type electrode potential of electrospun PAN-porphyrin CNFs

Abstract

In this study, electrospun polyacrylonitrile-(5,10,15,20-tetra(4-tert-butylphenyl))-porphyrin nanofibers (PAN-Por NFs) were carbonized to obtain carbonized PAN-Por NF/carbon-felt electrodes (PP2C/CFE), which were then investigated for their performance as battery-type hybrid supercapacitor (SC) electrodes. To the best of our knowledge, the doping of a hybrid SC electrode with (5,10,15,20-tetra(4-tert-butylphenyl)porphyrin has not been previously investigated. Subsequently, a series of physicochemical analyses were conducted, including scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and polarization optical microscopy. Electrochemical analyses were performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The PP2C/CFE exhibited battery-type characteristics in the CV and GCD tests. From the CV data, the maximum specific capacitance was calculated to be 220 F g − 1 at 0.5 mV s − 1 . At a current density of 0.5 A g − 1 , a specific capacitance of 177 F g − 1 and a specific capacity of 284 mAh g − 1 were calculated from the GCD curve. The highest coulombic efficiency, 110.60%, was observed at 3 A g − 1 . At 0.5 A g − 1 , the maximum energy density was 98.3 Wh kg − 1 , and the power density was 348.6 W kg − 1 . In the cycle-stability test, 50 charge-discharge cycles were performed at 3.5 A g − 1 , resulting in an 88% increase in the specific capacitance value. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that PP2C/CFE doped/carbonized with Por is a promising and improvable hybrid SC battery-type electrode.