Polyaniline–Graphene Oxide based ordered nanocomposite electrodes for high-performance supercapacitor applications

Abstract

The present work is an attempt to assess the suitability of Polyaniline (PANI)–Graphene Oxide (GO) composite material, obtained using the simple in-situ oxidative polymerization technique, for developing supercapacitors with good performance characteristics. The structurally ordered PANI–GO nanocomposite has been tested as a supercapacitor electrode by employing three-electrode configuration and also in the two electrode configuration by assembling supercapacitor test cells. The composite electrode material in three electrode configuration is found to show specific capacitance of 810 F/g, which is the highest value being reported, compared to the already available previous reports. The assembled supercapacitor test cells show high specific capacitance of 132 F/g at a high current density of 5 A/g with good capacity retention over 1000 cycles. These results highlight the significance of PANI–GO composite, grown through the simple polymerization technique employed in the present work, as a favorable electrode material in the development of high power supercapacitors.