Preparation and electrochemical properties of polyaniline nanofibers using ultrasonication

• Nanofibrous structured polyaniline (PANI) was prepared by simple ultrasonication.
• PANI nanofibers prepared at 5 °C are uniform with an average diameter of 50 nm.
• The conductivity is increased by 2 × 108 times after doping with LiClO4.
• The cell with PANI-LiClO4 shows good cycle performance at high current densities.

Polyaniline nanofibers have been successfully prepared by applying ultrasonic irradiation during oxidative polymerization of aniline in dilute hydrochloric acid and evaluated for suitability in lithium cells after doping with lithium perchlorate salt. Polyaniline nanofibers are confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and the efficiency of doping is confirmed by DC conductivity measurements at different temperatures. Electrochemical properties of nanofibers are evaluated, of which a remarkable increase in cycle stability is achieved when compared to polyaniline prepared by simple oxidative polymerization of aniline. The cell with nanofibrous polyaniline doped with LiClO4 delivers an initial discharge capacity value of 86 mA h g−1 at 1 C-rate which is about 60% of theoretical capacity, and the capacity is slightly lowered during cycle and reaches 50% of theoretical capacity after 40 cycles. The cell delivers a stable and higher discharge capacity even at 2 C-rate compared to that of the cell prepared with bulk polyaniline doped with LiClO4.

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