PANOA/MnO2/MWCNT nanocomposite: Synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical performance as efficient electrode materials for supercapacitors

Abstract

The MnO2/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/poly (aniline-co-o-aminophenol) (PANOA) nanocomposite electrode were prepared by electrochemical polymerization on graphite electrode. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge used the electrochemical properties of the composite. The doping of MnO2/MWCNT enhances the electrochemical activity and reversibility of the copolymer. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM), UV–vis spectra, and X-ray diffraction diagram clearly revealed the formation of nanocomposites on the surface of the working electrode and demonstrated that the doping process is effective. The test results in acidic solutions show that the composites have similar and enhanced cyclic voltammetry performance compared with pure PANOA based electrode material. The PANOA/MnO2/MWCNT nanocomposite synthesized possessed excellent capacitive behavior with a high specific capacitance. The specific capacitance of the PANOA/MnO2/MWCNT nanocomposite film is 560 F/g at scan rate of 25 mV s−1. These results demonstrate exciting potentials of the composite for high performance supercapacitors or other power source system.