Abstract
In this study, we present a novel strategy for enhancing polyaniline stability and thus obtaining an electrode material with practical application in supercapacitors. A promising (graphite foil/polyaniline/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) GF/PANI/PEDOT:PSS) electrode material was characterized and used in the construction of a symmetric supercapacitor that provides an outstanding high power density. For this purpose, the electropolymerization of PANI was carried out on a graphite foil and then a thin protective layer of PEDOT:PSS was deposited. The presence of the nanometer PEDOT:PSS layer made it possible to widen the electroactivity potential range of the electrode material. Moreover, the synergy between materials positively affected the amount of accumulated charge, and thus the thin PEDOT:PSS layer contributed to enhancing the specific capacity of the electrode material. The electrochemical performance of the GF/PANI/PEDOT:PSS electrode, as well as the symmetrical supercapacitor, was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles in 1 M H2SO4 at room temperature. The fabricated electrode material shows a high specific capacitance (Csp) of 557.4 Fg−1 and areal capacitance (Careal) of 2600 mF·cm−2 in 1 M H2SO4 at a current density of 200 mA·cm−2 (~4 A·g−1). The supercapacitor performance was studied and the results show that a thin PEDOT:PSS layer enables cycling stability improvement of the device from 54% to 67% after 10,000 cycles, and provides a high specific capacity (159.8 F·g−1) and a maximum specific power (18,043 W·kg−1) for practical applications.
Highlights
In recent years, researchers have been motivated to develop sustainable and renewable energy devices due to the exponential utilization of fossil fuels and subsequently related environmental issues
The chronoamperometry curves recorded during PANI and PEDOT electropolymerization on graphite foil (GF) and GF/PANI are presented in Figure 1b,c, respectively
Research [32,33] of the kinetic growth of polyaniline deposited on the electrode under potentiostatic conditions revealed that polyaniline deposition on an electrode surface can be presented by a model that consists of two stages: initial nucleation and growth
Summary
Researchers have been motivated to develop sustainable and renewable energy devices due to the exponential utilization of fossil fuels and subsequently related environmental issues. The emergence of new technologies and materials has gained considerable interest in electrochemical energy storage devices such as supercapacitors and batteries. Materials 2020, 13, 5791 devices and storing the energy generated by solar cells [2,3,4,5]. Progress in supercapacitor design is considered as one of the most significant and innovative ways towards reliable electrical energy storage. This is due to their high power density, long cycle life, low maintenance cost, and environmental safety, as well as secure operating conditions
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