Three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide-grafted polyaniline aerogel as an active material for high performance supercapacitors

•3D RGO-g-PANI composite was efficiently prepared by a facile hydrothermal method.•The obtained specific capacitance was as high as 1600 F g−1 at 12 A g−1.•The cycling stability was 91.3% capacitance retention after 3000 cycles.

Three-dimensional polyaniline grafted reduced graphene oxide (3D RGO-g-PANI) composite was prepared by an efficient two-step method. Firstly, graphene oxide sheets were grafted with PANI chains, forming graphene oxide grafted PANI composites. Secondly, RGO-g-PANI aerogels were obtained from GO-g-PANI composites by hydrothermal and drying processes. The 3D RGO-g-PANI aerogel composite was used as active materials to coat the glassy carbon electrodes for checking the electrochemical properties for supercapacitor application. The obtained specific capacitance was 1600 F g−1 at a very high current density of 12 A g−1 and an excellent cycle stability (91.3% capacitance retention after 3000 cycles), suggesting its potential application for a high performance supercapacitors.

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