Electrochemically active polyaniline nanofibers (PANi NFs) coated graphene nanosheets/PANi NFs composite coated on different flexible substrates

•Synthesis of electrochemically active GNS–PANi nanofibers composite.•Electrochemical activity is explained in terms of microstructure and phase.•The composite offers a high specific capacitance of ∼325.84 F/g.•The synergistic effect between the constituents of the composite was established.•The composite is a good working electrode material for hybrid type supercapacitors.

A composite material consisting of polyaniline nanofibers (PANi NFs) coated graphene nanosheets (GNS) and PANi NFs has been coated on cotton cloth and plastic sheet. Morphological, structural and compositional analyses showed an excellent interaction between the components of the composite. This has reflected in the composite's electrochemical behavior. The first discharge specific capacitances of GNS, PANi NFs and the composite electrodes have been measured as ∼59.79, ∼156.9 and ∼325.84 F/g, respectively. The composite material has been found to exhibit electrochemical behavior that is a combination of electric double-layer capacitor behavior of GNS and pseudo capacitor behavior of PANi NFs.