High-performance poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate conducting-polymer supercapacitor containing hetero-dimensional carbon additives

• Electrode containing PEDOT (81%)/graphite oxide (16%)/CNT (3%) was studied.
• Composite electrode was prepared by facile solution casting method.
• Stacking of carbon additives leads to remarkable energy and power densities.
• Capacitance was increased from 85 F g−1 to 365 F g−1 by carbon addition.
• Composite electrode exhibits >100 Wh kg−1-electrode at ca. 200 kW kg−1.

Supercapacitor composite electrode containing predominantly (81 wt.%) poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT–PSS) conducting polymer (CP) and graphite oxide (GO; 16 wt.%) and carbon nanotube (CNT; 3 wt.%) has been prepared by a solution casting method. The stacking between these carbon additives having very different dimensionality provides a unique skeletal structure that allows for enlarged polymer/electrolyte interface for high-capacitance and for enhanced electronic and ionic conductivities needed for high-power performance. The resulting ternary electrode exhibits nearly ten-fold increase in energy and power performance as compared with pure CP electrode. It possesses a specific capacitance of 365 F g−1-electrode over an operating potential window of 2.0 V, and exhibits a specific energy greater than 100 Wh kg−1-electrode at the power of nearly 200 kW kg−1-electrode with good cycle stability. Given the processing simplicity and outstanding power performance, the present PEDOT–PSSCP-C composite active material is considered possessing great potential for large-scale supercapacitor applications.