Multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyaniline supercapacitors: impact of bentonite clay liquid crystals

Electrochemically co-deposited and template directed composite electrode-based supercapacitors were compared in this study. The materials used for composite electrode were multiwalled carbon nanotubes and polyaniline (MWNT/PA). The lyotropic liquid crystalline properties of bentonite clay were used to enhance the performance of the supercapacitors. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the structural properties of electrodes. The techniques employed for electrochemical characterization of supercapacitors included cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) cycling. In the presence of bentonite clay liquid crystal, electrochemically co-deposited composite electrode supercapacitors produced the highest capacitance of 730 F/g, while template directed composite electrode supercapacitors produced the highest capacitance of 690 F/g. Galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling studies were performed for all the fabricated supercapacitors, and the EDWC electrode exhibited long cycling stability with a capacitance retention of 86% after 5000 cycles at 3 mA/cm². Lyotropic liquid crystal and a multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyaniline composite electrode, which were electrochemically co-deposited, are found to be the best combination of materials for supercapacitors.