Enhancement of the Carbon Content and Electrochemical Performance by Decorating Zinc Oxide Over Graphene Oxide/Polyaniline Composite

Abstract

An optimized electrode is the main requirement for energy-based applications such as supercapacitors. In this work, a ternary composite made up of graphene oxide (GO), polyaniline (PANI), and zinc oxide (ZnO), as an electrode material for supercapacitors was discussed with its structural and electrochemical properties. To attain this: (i) modified Hummers’ method, (ii) in-situ polymerization method, and (iii) hydrothermal method were employed. Synergistic effects between these materials provided efficient electrode materials with porous structure and high specific capacitance. The electrochemical properties of the samples were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge and discharge measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 6 M KOH electrolyte. The ternary composite exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 278 F g−1 at 1 A g−1.