Polyaniline:Cu2ZnSnS4 (PANI:CZTS) nanocomposites as electrodes in all-in-one supercapacitor devices

Abstract

This research offers a new way to increase the electrochemical capacities of supercapacitors by synthesizing nanocomposites using a conductive polymer, polyaniline (PANI), and copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu2ZnSnS4 - CZTS) material. The current work describes of the hydrothermal synthesis of CZTS and the subsequent construction of PANI:CZTS nanocomposites utilizing an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization approach. Nanocomposites were synthesized by employing different mass ratios of CZTS to aniline, and the resulting products were subjected to characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), elemental mapping (EDX), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The combination of PANI with CZTS in nanocomposites resulted in a significant outcome in terms of electrochemical properties. The symmetric supercapacitor design demonstrated by PANI resulted in specific capacitance, energy density, and power density values of 36 F/g, 5.1 Wh/kg, and 83 kW/kg, respectively. The CZTS sample doped with 10% (PANI:CZTS10), which was intended for use as an asymmetric supercapacitor, displayed considerable electrochemical properties, in particular, in specific capacitance, and power density, measuring at 311 F/g, and 440 kW/kg, respectively. Most of the examined supercapacitor configurations, fabricated using a 6 M KOH electrolyte solution, exhibited good cyclic stability, enduring up to 10,000 cycles at a low current density of 0.1 A/g. The exceptional cycle performance of the electrode materials dramatically supports the use of long-term energy storage applications. The potential utilization of cost-effective and rapidly produced materials, such as PANI and PANI:CZTS nanocomposites, presents significant prospects in various energy storage and conversion systems.