ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Electrochemical storage properties of polyaniline-, poly(N-methylaniline)-, and poly(N-ethylaniline)-coated pencil graphite electrodes

Andac Arslan and Evrim Hur

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Science, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, 26480, Eskişehir, Turkey

E-mail: evrimhur@ogu.edu.tr

Abstract: Three types of conducting polymers, polyaniline (PANI), poly(N-methylaniline) (PNMA), poly(N-ethylaniline) (PNEA) were electrochemically deposited on pencil graphite electrode (PGE) surfaces characterized as electrode active materials for supercapacitor applications. The obtained films were electrochemically characterized using different electrochemical methods. Redox parameters, electro-active characteristics, and electrostability of the polymer films were investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV). Doping types of the polymer films were determined by the Mott-Schottky method. Electrochemical capacitance properties of the polymer film coating PGE (PGE/PANI, PGE/PNMA, and PGE/PNEA) were investigated by the CV and potentiostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods in a 0.1 M H₂SO₄ aqueous solution. Thus, capacitance values of the electrodes were calculated. Results show that PGE/PANI, PGE/PNMA, and PGE/PNEA exhibit maximum specific capacitances of 131.78 F g⁻¹ (≈ 436.50 mF cm⁻²), 38.00 F g⁻¹ (≈ 130.70 mF cm⁻²), and 16.50 F g⁻¹ (≈ 57.83 mF cm⁻²), respectively. Moreover, charge-discharge capacities of the electrodes are reported and the specific power (SP) and specific energy (SE) values of the electrodes as supercapacitor materials were calculated using repeating chronopotentiometry.

Keywords: conducting polymer – polyaniline – electropolymerization – energy storage – supercapacitor

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-013-0475-9

Chemical Papers 68 (4) 504–515 (2014)