Enhanced Polyaniline Composites for Supercapacitor Applications

This work reports the enhancement of electrochemical properties of a polyaniline nanofiber with graphene oxide (GO) in weight proportions of 90:10, 80:20, and 75:25. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy were used to study the GO sheet-wrapped PaniNF structure. Enhancements in the electrochemical properties were confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge, and impedance measurements. The highest capacitance (482 F g(-1)) was achieved by the addition of 10 wt.% graphene oxide, which is higher than activated carbon electrode material (313 F g(-1)). Our experimental results were further supported by first-principles density functional theory calculations and demonstrate that modified polyaniline is a promising material as a capacitor.