Supercapacitive properties of polyaniline/Nafion/hydrous RuO2 composite electrodes

Chemically prepared polyaniline is tested for its supercapacitive behaviour in an aqueous electrolyte of 1.0 M H2SO4. In order to improve the cycleability of the polyaniline electrode, it is made into a composite with Nafion. This composite electrode shows improved cycleability and higher specific capacitance compared with a pure polyaniline electrode. It is therefore used as a matrix for the electrochemical deposition of hydrous RuO2. The resulting ternary composite electrode has a high specific capacitance of 475 F g−1 at 100 mV s−1 and 375 F g−1 at 1000 mV s−1 in the voltage range of −0.2 to 0.8 V versus Ag/AgCl. All three types of electrode are characterized by cyclic voltammetry and impedance anaylsis.