Synthesis of a graphene oxide/ ZnFe ₂ O ₄ /polyaniline nanocomposite and its structural and electrochemical characterization for supercapacitor application

Abstract

The present work describes an efficient method to engineer advanced electrode materials for application in high-performing supercapacitors. First, a ternary composite electrode comprised of a nanocomposite of graphene oxide (GO), spinel zinc ferrite (ZnFe 2 O 4 ), and polyaniline (PANi) as a conductive polymer was synthesized through in situ polymerization. The electrochemical and energy storage properties of the synthesized electrode were analyzed following the galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The intercalation of polyaniline between GO and ZnFe 2 O 4 in the synthesized material was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The synthesized ternary composite electrode displayed a remarkably enhanced area capacitance of 2169.71 mF/g at the current density of 1 mA/cm, indicating the synergistic impact of the PANi additive. HighlightsGraphene oxide/spinel zinc ferrite/polyaniline nanocomposite was synthesized using in situ polymerization.• Polyaniline concentration affected the surface area, particle size, and agglomeration.• Spinel zinc ferrite nanoparticles played a significant role in the nanocomposite.• Graphene oxide/spinel zinc ferrite/polyaniline nanocomposite demonstrated superior rate performance.

Progress towards sustainable energy storage: A concise review

“…Alsulami et al combined graphene oxide, polyaniline, and spinel zinc ferrite nanoparticles to fabricate a high-performing supercapacitor electrode. 96 The facile synthesis method produced an electrode with a specific capacitance of about 2169.7 F/g at 90% capacity retention. Spinel ferrites are metal oxides nanoparticles usually denoted as MFe 2 O 4 , where M represents iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), gold (Au), and many others.…”

“…The effect of the iron oxide was evident in the thermal stability of the electrode. Alsulami et al combined graphene oxide, polyaniline, and spinel zinc ferrite nanoparticles to fabricate a high‐performing supercapacitor electrode 96 . The facile synthesis method produced an electrode with a specific capacitance of about 2169.7 F/g at 90% capacity retention.…”

A Facile Microwave Hydrothermal Synthesis of ZnFe2O4/rGO Nanocomposites for Supercapacitor Electrodes

“…As a typical binary transition metal oxide, ZnFe 2 O 4 gained much attention due to its high theoretical specific capacitance (~2600 F g −1 ), but is still restricted by poor conductivity and severe agglomeration during charge and discharge process, causing low specific capacitance and cycle life [ 19 , 20 ]. Numerous studies have confirmed that synthesizing composites with carbonaceous material is an effective way to enhance the capacitance and lifespan of ZnFe 2 O 4 for supercapacitors [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Due to the superior electrical conductivity and large theoretical specific surface area, graphene is the perfect candidate for dispersed nanoparticles.…”

Novel Hybrid Nanomaterials Based on Poly-N-Phenylanthranilic Acid and Magnetic Nanoparticles with Enhanced Saturation Magnetization

“…Nanocomposite magnetic materials based on polyconjugated polymers are new generation materials with physical and chemical properties required for modern technologies [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. These magnetic nanocomposites can find potential application as hybrid electrocatalysts [ 6 , 7 ], as cathode materials for rechargeable batteries and fuel cells [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], as active materials in solar cells [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] and supercapacitors [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], for the remediation of water resources [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], ion-exchange materials [ 25 , 26 , 27 ], ion-specific electrodes [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], to produce sensors [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ], as anticorrosive coatings [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ], as electromagnetic radiation absorbing materials [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , …”