Ce-Doped PANI/Fe3O4 Nanocomposites: Electrode Materials for Supercapattery

In this study, we report on a combined approach to preparing an active electrode material for supercapattery application by making nanocomposites of Polyaniline/Cerium (PANI/Ce) with different weight percentages of magnetite (Fe3O4). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses supported the interaction of PANI with Ce and the formation of the successful nanocomposite with magnetite nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses showed the uniform and porous morphology of the composites. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) were used to test the supercapattery behavior of the nanocomposite electrodes in 1.0 M H2SO4. It was found that the supercapattery electrode of PANI/Ce+7 wt.% Fe3O4 exhibited a specific capacity of 171 mAhg−1 in the potential range of −0.2 to 1.0 V at the current density of 2.5 Ag−1. Moreover, PANI/Ce+7 wt.% Fe3O4 revealed a power density of 376.6 Wkg−1 along with a maximum energy density of 25.4 Whkg−1 at 2.5 Ag−1. Further, the cyclic stability of PANI/Ce+7 wt.% Fe3O4 was found to be 96.0% after 5,000 cycles. The obtained results suggested that the PANI/Ce+Fe3O4 nanocomposite could be a promising electrode material candidate for high-performance supercapattery applications.