Issue 6, 2020

Green synthesis of polypyrrole tubes using curcumin template for excellent electrochemical performance in supercapacitors

Abstract

In this study, polypyrrole (PPy) having a unique hollow tubular structure was prepared through a simple and scalable one-step method of in situ chemical oxidative polymerization, employing curcumin, a plant-derived material, as a readily removable and eco-friendly template. PPy tubes (PPyT: PPyC1T1, PPyC1T2, PPyC1T4, PPyC2T2, and PPyC3T2) prepared under various conditions were then combined with functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) to form freestanding electrodes. Among the tested composite electrodes, the PPyC3T2/f-CNT freestanding electrode exhibited the greatest morphological uniformity, a favorable hierarchical porous structure, the largest surface area, and excellent electrochemical properties. A record areal capacitance of 11 830.4 mF cm−2 at a current density of 2 mA cm−2 was obtained for the PPyC3T2/f-CNT-thick freestanding electrode at a high mass loading of 30 mg cm−2. In addition, a symmetric supercapacitor fabricated using the PPyC3T2/f-CNT-thick freestanding electrode exhibited an excellent areal capacitance (2732 mF cm−2 at a current density of 2 mA cm−2), an outstanding cycling stability (retention of 118.18% of its initial capacitance after 12 500 charge/discharge cycles), and a high energy density (242.84 μW h cm−2) and maximum power density (129.35 mW cm−2). These characteristics highlight the potential applicability of PPyT/f-CNT freestanding electrodes in high-performance supercapacitors.

Graphical abstract: Green synthesis of polypyrrole tubes using curcumin template for excellent electrochemical performance in supercapacitors

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Oct 2019
Accepted
16 Jan 2020
First published
16 Jan 2020

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020,8, 3186-3202

Green synthesis of polypyrrole tubes using curcumin template for excellent electrochemical performance in supercapacitors

J. P. Jyothibasu and R. Lee, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 3186 DOI: 10.1039/C9TA11934E

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