Continuously Reinforced Carbon Nanotube Film Sea-Cucumber-like Polyaniline Nanocomposites for Flexible Self-Supporting Energy-Storage Electrode Materials

Abstract

The charge storage mechanism and capacity of supercapacitors completely depend on the electrochemical and mechanical properties of electrode materials. Herein, continuously reinforced carbon nanotube film (CNTF), as the flexible support layer and the conductive skeleton, was prepared via the floating catalytic chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method. Furthermore, a series of novel flexible self-supporting CNTF/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite electrode materials were prepared by cyclic voltammetry electrochemical polymerization (CVEP), with aniline and mixed-acid-treated CNTF film. By controlling the different polymerization cycles, it was found that the growth model, morphology, apparent color, and loading amount of the PANI on the CNTF surface were different. The CNTF/PANI-15C composite electrode, prepared by 15 cycles of electrochemical polymerization, has a unique surface, with a "sea-cucumber-like" 3D nanoprotrusion structure and microporous channels formed via the stacking of the PANI nanowires. A CNTF/PANI-15C flexible electrode exhibited the highest specific capacitance, 903.6 F/g, and the highest energy density, 45.2 Wh/kg, at the current density of 1 A/g and the voltage window of 0 to 0.6 V. It could maintain 73.9% of the initial value at a high current density of 10 A/g. The excellent electrochemical cycle and structural stabilities were confirmed on the condition of the higher capacitance retention of 95.1% after 2000 cycles of galvanostatic charge/discharge, and on the almost unchanged electrochemical performances after 500 cycles of bending. The tensile strength of the composite electrode was 124.5 MPa, and the elongation at break was 18.9%.

Fabrication of Coral-like Polyaniline/Continuously Reinforced Carbon Nanotube Woven Composite Films for Flexible High-Stability Supercapacitor Electrodes

“…CNWF/PANI 3 -15C exhibited a nanoscale structure resembling a sea cucumber with a homogeneous and ordered PANI layer. Even though the surface was covered with numerous sea-cucumber-like projections, the aspect ratio was quite low . Among the three morphologies, the CL-PANI nanowires with a larger aspect ratio were more favorable to improving the full contact and infiltration between the electrode material’s surface and the electrolyte.…”

“…The continuously reinforced CNWF flexible support layer and the conductive framework were constructed following previously reported work. 42 A mixture of anhydrous ethanol (95 wt %), thiophene (3 wt %), and ferrocene (2 wt %) was homogenized using ultrasonication before being introduced to a vertical cracking furnace at a rate of 0.15 mL min −1 . The hightemperature zone was used to generate CNTs, which were subsequently carried by the carrier gas (hydrogen and argon) to the furnace die.…”

“…Even though the surface was covered with numerous sea-cucumber-like projections, the aspect ratio was quite low. 42 Among the three morphologies, the CL-PANI nanowires with a larger aspect ratio were more favorable to improving the full contact and infiltration between the electrode material's surface and the electrolyte. Multiwalled CNTs may be observed clearly in TEM images of CNWF formed using the FCCVD technique (Figure 6a).…”

Composites of Intrinsically Conducting Polymers with Carbonaceous Materials for Supercapacitors – An Update

“…With PANI highest specific capacities were achieved; given the claimed advantages of the preparation procedure the absence of any stability data surprises. A CNT-film has been combined with PANI into a flexible self-supporting material [291]. At optimum composition 95 % of the initial capacitance were still available after 2000 cycles.…”

Effective Conductivity of Carbon-Nanotube-Filled Systems by Interfacial Conductivity to Optimize Breast Cancer Cell Sensors

“…Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) endow significant conductivity and high mechanical properties to composites, especially polymer CNT nanocomposites (PCNT) [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. A CNT aspect ratio in a range of 500–1000 creates a conductive network at extremely low concentrations of CNTs [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”