Polypyrrole/Sulfonated Graphene Composite as Electrode Material for Supercapacitor

Abstract

A novel electrode material for a supercapacitor has been developed based on a sulfonated graphene (SG) and polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposite synthesized by interfacial polymerization. Characterizations of the synthesized composites are performed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. The composites showed noticeable improvements in electrical conductivity and excellent electrochemical reversibility. The supercapacitor is fabricated by dispersing PPy/SG composite in nafion solution and coated on a stainless steel net. The composite revealed a maximum value of capacitance of 360 F g–1 at a current density of 1 A g–1. This simple method is suitable for developing a variety of SG based composites for applications in energy storage devices.