Synthesis and characterisation of PANI and PANI-NiO nanocomposite for promising supercapacitor application

The excellent properties of organic–inorganic nanocomposites garnered extensive attention in energy storage applications. In this regard, polyaniline-nickel oxide (PANI-NiO) has been synthesised using a chemical oxidation technique for supercapacitor applications. The structural, optical, and morphological properties of the PANI and PANI-NiO electrode materials were elaborated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis.), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and field effect transmission (FESEM) techniques respectively. The electrochemical properties of the developed materials were explored via cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The PANI and PANI-NiO exhibited the specific capacitance values of 223.92 and 522.45 F/g respectively, at a current density of 1 A/g. The stability study of the electrodes shows a high capacitance retention of 79.5% after 3000 GCD cycles for the PANI-NiO electrode and 62.2% for the PANI electrode. Thus, the obtained results of the electrochemical test confirmed the exciting potential of the PANI-NiO compared to PANI in supercapacitor applications.