Polyaniline-(dinonylnapthyl disulphonic acid) hydrogel showing enhanced supercapacitor and photo-current performance by in situ growth of AgNPs

Abstract

Emulsion polymerization of aniline in presence of dinonylnapthyl disulphonic acid (DNNDSA) produces 3D-fibrillar network and invariant storage and loss modulus with frequency suggest (PANI-DNNDSA, PD) gel formation. The x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm in-situ Ag NP formation. The PD gel exhibits excellent specific capacitance of 1100 F/g, however, in-situ growth of AgNPs (PDAg1.2) exhibits specific capacitance 1350 F/g at 1 A/g current density in three-electrode technique. Two electrode measurement with flexible carbon cloth using poly(vinyl alcohol)-H2SO4 gel electrolyte shows a specific capacitance value of 646 F/g and Ragon plot exhibits maximum power density 7000 W/kg at energy density of 34.7 Wh/kg. The PDAg1.2 gel exhibit highly improved photocurrent with simultaneous presence of photocurrent memory and photocurrent rectification which are absent in pure PD gel. Due to synergistic interaction between silver plasmon bands and polaronic bands of PANI very good photocurrent and stable photocurrent switching is noticed.