A Highly Porous Polyaniline-Graphene Composite Used for Electrochemical Supercapacitors

Xiaomin Li

Wen Zhao 

Rui Yin 

Xiaoshuai Huang 

Lei Qian Email

Key Laboratory for Liquid–Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, 17923 Jingshi Road, Jinan 250061, China

Abstract

A polyaniline (PANI)-porous graphene (PGR) hybrid material with high capacitive performance was synthesized through electropolymerization of aniline on the PGR. The microstructure and morphologies of the PANI-PGR were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, while electrochemical behaviors were measured by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge. The effects of aniline and PGR concentrations and polymerization cycles on electrochemical performances of the PANI-PGR were investigated. The results demonstrated that the prepared PANI0.05-PGR1.25-15 (0.05 M aniline, 1.25 mg·ml-1 PGR and 15 polymerization cycles) showed the highest specific capacitance of 1209 F·g-1 at 0.2 A·g-1. The specific capacitance of the obtained PANI-PGR was higher compared with other PANI materials, such as graphene (GR)-wrapped PANI nanofiber, single walled carbon nanotube/PANI, and GR-PANI nanoworm composites. The PANI0.05-PGR1.25-15 also displayed good cycle stability, retaining 92% of the initial capacitance after 1000 cycles of charge-discharge. The excellent capacitive properties were attributed to large specific surface area of the PGR and good pseudocapacitive properties of PANI.

A Highly Porous Polyaniline-Graphene Composite Used for Electrochemical Supercapacitors