Effect of PANI and PPy on electrochemical performance of rGO/ZnMn2O4 aerogels as electrodes for supercapacitors

Abstract

Conductive polymers, such as polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy), are widely used in the design of supercapacitors because of their high pseudo-capacitive performance as well as facile synthesis and low cost. In this study, hybrid aerogels based on reduced graphene oxide and ZnMn2O4 were modified by PANI and PPy. The 3D structure of the hybrid aerogels was obtained by using a one-step hydrothermal co-assembly method. Then, aniline and pyrrole were polymerized on and within the structure of the hybrid aerogel through in situ polymerization. The electrochemical properties of the hybrid aerogels were studied via cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge testing to identify the effects of conductive polymers on the electrochemical properties of materials. It has been established that PANI and PPy facilitate an increase of the specific capacitance of rGO/ZnMn2O4 aerogels up to 297.8 F/g and 108.24 F/g at 0.2 A/g scan rate, respectively. © 2020, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.