Pseudocapacitive performance of a ternary composite of ferrocene-functionalized graphene nanoribbon, dicationic ionic liquid, and poly (o-aminophenol) for supercapacitor application

Abstract

The hybridization of dissimilar materials is assumed as a promising route to improve their desired properties for various purposes. In this work, the ferrocene-functionalized graphene nanoribbon/dicationic ionic liquid/poly (ortho-aminophenol) nanocomposite (abbreviated here to GNR-Fc/DCIL/PoAP-NC) was synthesized as a novel active material for high-performance battery-type supercapacitor (SC) applications. In this context, the electrochemical measurement outcomes revealed the significantly enhanced capacitance of the final NC, as compared to those of each component. Additionally, the specific capacitance achieved for the given NC was 395 mAh/g (current density: 1 A/g), wherein energy density (Esg) and power density (Psg) were equal to 29.625 Wh/kg and 852 W/kg, respectively. These results could be attributed to the synergistic effects of the NC components, reducing the charge transfer resistance (Rct) and expanding the charge transfer properties of the GNR. The impact of the molecular weight of the polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) on the electric charge transfer was correspondingly evaluated. Even with the higher number of the charge transfer sites; the charge transfer became more complex following the increase in the chain length, which could be caused by the time-consuming diffusion of the charged species. As a final point, the performance of the novel active material, the GNR-Fc/DCIL/PoAP-NC, in the structure of the two-electrode cell was investigated.