Ternary nanocomposite of RAFT‐polymerized DMAEMA‐functionalized graphene oxide, manganese dioxide and polyaniline as active electrode material for supercapacitor

Abstract

Graphene and its derivatives are promising energy storage devices due to their high specific surface area, chemical and thermal durability, and high charge transfer power. Still, their stacking and aggregate behavior can limit their practical capacity. To address this issue, reversible addition−fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) polymerization as controlled radical polymerization (CRP) was applied to functionalize the surface of GO with poly (N, N‐dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate), PDMAEMA, via the ‘grafting‐from’ method. This strategy enhances the distance between graphene sheets by occupying physical volume while improving effective charge transfer through tertiary amine groups participating in the doping process. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine interlayer spacing after polymer grafting, which increased from 0.28 nm to 1.71 nm after polymer grafting. The hybridization of materials with diverse properties was used to enhance charge transfer capability for supercapacitor applications. PDMAEMA‐functionalized graphene oxide (GOPD), nano manganese dioxide (MnO2), and polyaniline (PANI) were combined to create a successful nanocomposite as electrode active material. The morphological structure and chemical composition of the synthesized nanocomposites were analyzed, and their electrochemical performance was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The nanocomposite exhibited a maximum specific capacitance, Energy density, and Power density of 364.72 F/g (at a scan rate of 50 mV/s), energy, 239.08 Wh/kg and 678.34 W/kg, respectively. The final nanocomposite's energy storage capacity significantly increased compared to individual components due to hybridization's synergistic impact, reducing charge transfer resistance.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.