Graphite/MWCNT\nNanocomposite: A Novel Paint Electrode\nfor Energy Storage Devices

The\nstudy demonstrates the development of graphite/MWCNT nanocomposite\nelectrodes for supercapacitors. The composite has been developed as\na conducting carbon paint, wherein the properties have been studied\nby varying the MWCNT content. The optimized electrode (with 1 wt %\nMWCNT in graphite) exhibits a specific capacitance of 221.66 F/g @\n0.5 A/g in a three-electrode setup. The electrode was analyzed in\nsolid-state and aqueous prototype supercapacitor devices. The solid-state\ndevice achieved an energy density of 24.5 Wh/kg @ 523.6 W/kg power\ndensity, with 91% capacity retention and 106.25% Coulombic efficiency\nafter 7500 charge–discharge cycles. Expanding the scope of\nour investigation, nanocomposite paint was further tested as an electrode\nfor the Zn–Br redox flow battery wherein the samples exhibited\nwell-defined peaks for the 2Br–/Br<sub>2</sub> redox reaction.\nA sample with 1% MWCNTs showed not only a 70% hike in current density\nas compared to graphite electrodes but also lower peak separation\nvalues predicting a more reversible and kinetically favored bromine\nredox reaction, thus projecting it as an efficient electrode for RFB.\nOur efforts establish the groundwork for future high-performance energy\nstorage devices by connecting fundamental research with real-world\napplications.