Direct fabrication of a UCNT-based ternary composite electrode with superior pseudocapacitive behavior
摘要
The practical performance of ternary carbon–polymer composites in supercapacitors is often limited by poor interfacial compatibility and structural instability. In this study, a ternary reduced graphene oxide/polyaniline/unzipped carbon nanotube (RGO/PANI/UCNT) nanocomposite was fabricated via an in situ polymerization method using chemically unzipped CNTs to form a highly interconnected conductive network. To confirm the synthesis of nanocomposites, the prepared materials were examined by different analytical methods such as FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, and BET. Results show that there exists a porous and layered structure of RGO and proper distribution of UCNT into the nanocomposite with unzipping. Also, RGO/PANI/UCNT has an active surface area of 84.70 m2 g−1. Electrochemical properties of the nanocomposite were investigated through cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), and impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. Results of the GCD test revealed a capacity of 640 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, which is higher than that of other electrodes. Furthermore, the synthesized nanocomposite displays excellent stability by maintaining 85% of its initial capacity after 1000 charge–discharge cycles. The improved performance is attributed to the synergistic structural design, where the unzipped CNTs enhance dispersion, conductivity, and interfacial bonding within the composite. This approach offers a scalable and effective route to engineer high-performance supercapacitor electrodes with enhanced stability and capacitance, providing a valuable contribution to advanced energy storage materials.