Improved electrochemical performance of activated carbon/polyaniline composite electrode

The composite thin films of activated carbon/polyaniline (AC/PANI) have been deposited on stainless steel substrates by a facile dip coating technique. Surface morphology of the films is examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy, which revealed aggregated nanofiber like structure for PANI and well distributed nanofibers with porous structure for AC/PANI films. The highest specific capacitance of 534 F g−1 at 5 mV s−1 and energy density of 78.49 Wh kg−1 at 1 mA cm−2 is observed for the AC/PANI electrode, indicating positive synergistic effect of AC and PANI.