Energy storage and semiconducting properties of polyaniline/graphene oxide hybrid electrodes synthesized by one-pot electrochemical method

Abstract

Polyaniline/graphene oxide composites are produced by the one-pot electrochemical deposition method and are used as an electrode for supercapacitor energy storage. The electrochemical tests related to the energy storage performance of the PANI/GO electrodes at different mass loading of GO are successfully studied. The biggest specific capacitance for all of the electrodes is observed at a specific current of 0.3 A g(-1). Pure PANI electrode has a specific capacitance of 158.0 F g(-1), a specific energy of 18.2 W h kg(-1), and a corresponding specific power of 118.8 W kg(-1). After the loading of graphene oxide into PANI, the best specific capacitance measured at a current density of 0.3 A g(-1) is 295.9 F g(-1), and the corresponding specific energy and specific power are 34.0 Wh kg(-1) and 126.9 W kg(-1), respectively. The PANI/GO hybrid materials also exhibit a remarkably cycling stability with a capacitance retention range of 62.3%-83.7% after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. Charge transfer resistance of the PANI electrode desreases as GO loading increases. This means that electroactive surface area of the electrode increases due to the addition of GO into PANI. The enhancement in energy storage capability is supported by the increase in electroactive surface area. The high energy storage performance and easy production of PANI/GO materials make them promising electrodes for supercapacitor devices.