In-situ fabrication of manganese ferrite grafted polyaniline nanocomposite: A magnetically reusable visible light photocatalyst and a robust electrode material for supercapacitor

Abstract

Herein, we reported the in-situ preparation of manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) grafted polyaniline (Pani), a magnetic nanocomposite for the potential visible light photocatalytic material as well as electrode material for supercapacitor. The physical characterization of the prepared nanoparticle and nanocomposite was examined with various spectroscopic and microscopic analyses. The peaks observed in the X-ray diffraction study confirm the face-centered cubic phase of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with a grain size of ∼17.6 nm. The surface morphology analysis revealed the uniform distribution of spherical-like MnFe2O4 nanoparticles on the surface of Pani. The degradation of malachite green (MG) dye under exposure to visible light was investigated using MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite as a photocatalyst. The results exposed the faster degradation of MG dye was accomplished by MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite than MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The energy storage performance of the MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite was analyzed through cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses. The results exposed that the MnFe2O4/Pani electrode achieved a capacitance of 287.1 F/g than the MnFe2O4 electrode (94.55 F/g). Further, the respectable capacitance of 96.92% was achieved even after 3000 repetitive cycles stability . Based on the outcomes, the MnFe2O4/Pani nanocomposite can be suggested as a promising material for both photocatalytic and supercapacitor applications.