Polyaniline and carbon nanotube coated pineapple-polyester blended fabric composites as electrodes for supercapacitors

Abstract

Conducting and electroactive fabrics suitable for supercapacitor electrodes were successfully prepared by combining carbon nanotubes (CNT) and polyaniline (PANi) with pineapple-polyester blended woven fabrics (PPWF) via dip-and-dry process and in situ chemical polymerization. The conductivity and capacitive behavior were studied using four-point probe technique, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge discharge experiments. PANi/CNT/PPWF composites produced higher conductivity (0.3877 S cm−1) and areal capacitance values (386 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2) compared to the binary composites, PANi/PPWF (0.00685 S cm−1, 14.3 mF cm−2), and CNT/PPWF (0.2615 S cm−1, 8.52 mF cm−2). Combining the high conductivity of CNT and the pseudocapacitive behavior of PANi greatly enhanced the charge storage capability of the composites. The PPWF composites also produced higher areal capacitance values compared to pure polyester composites. The incorporation of hydrophilic pineapple fibers led to lower charge transfer resistance and better electrolyte transport within the composite. Based on these characteristics, PANi/CNT/PPWF is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.