Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanotubes as electrode materials for a high-powered supercapacitor

Abstract

We report the fast charging/discharging capability of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanotubes during the redox process and their potential application to a high-powered supercapacitor. PEDOT nanotubes were electrochemically synthesized in a porous alumina membrane, and their structures were characterized using electron microscopes. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the specific capacitance of the PEDOT nanotubes at various scan rates. A type I supercapacitor (two symmetric electrodes) based on PEDOT nanotube electrodes was fabricated, and its energy density and power density were evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles at various current densities. We show that the PEDOT-nanotube-based supercapacitor can achieve a high power density of 25 kW kg(-1) while maintaining 80% energy density (5.6 W h kg(-1)). This high power capability is attributed to the fast charge/discharge of nanotubular structures: hollow nanotubes allow counter-ions to readily penetrate into the polymer and access their internal surfaces, while the thin wall provides a short diffusion distance to facilitate the ion transport. Impedance spectroscopy shows that nanotubes have much lower diffusional resistance to charging ions than solid nanowires shielded by an alumina template, providing supporting information for the high charging/discharging efficiency of nanotubular structures.

Graphene–Cellulose Paper Flexible Supercapacitors

“…[31][32][33] The projected length of the Warburg curve on the real impedance axis ( Z re ) characterizes the ion penetration process. [33][34][35] The Warburg length of the GCP membrane is shorter than that of the G-paper, which indicates that the GCP material has a short ion-diffusion path, due to the role of the cellulose fi bers as electrolyte reservoirs. [ 22 ] This confi guration reduces the iontransport distance from the absorbed electrolyte to the GNSs.…”

Multifunctional Nanofibers towards Active Biomedical Therapeutics

“…Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) is one of the popular ceramic templates that has been used to synthesize a variety of nanostructured fibers, including conducting polymers [54,55] and carbon [56], metals [57], and other ceramics [58]. Another frequently used ceramic template is silica, which has been used widely in fabrication of polymer nanofibers [33,59].…”

PEDOT:PSS/Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Composite Nanoparticles as an Additive for Electric-double Layer Capacitor

“…Moreover, conducting polymers can contribute charge storage by acting as a redox-active material, because they can be readily converted between the oxidized (p-doped) and reduced (ndoped) states by switching the applied potential. [20][21][22] In this work, we report on the fabrication and characterization of an EDLC with a new additive which is composed of PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)) and SWNTs.…”