Influence of Graphene-Derivative Surface Chemistry on the Charge-Storage Behavior of Electrospun Cellulose Acetate Membranes

Electrospun nanocomposite membranes have attracted considerable interests for flexible energy-storage devices; however, the influence of graphene derivative surface chemistry on the electrochemical behavior of cellulose acetate-based nanocomposites remains insufficiently understood. In this work, cellulose acetate (CA) nanocomposite membranes containing graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and octadecylamine-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO-ODA) at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.2 wt% were fabricated by electrospinning and evaluated as electrode materials for supercapacitor applications. The interfacial interactions and morphology of the membranes were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively, while electrochemical performance was assessed by cyclic voltammetry in three-electrode and symmetric two-electrode configurations. FTIR analysis confirmed effective interactions between the graphene derivatives and the CA matrix, whereas SEM observations revealed that nanofiller chemistry influenced fiber morphology and structural homogeneity. Among the evaluated systems, GO-containing membranes exhibited the best electrochemical performance, reaching a specific capacitance of 5.982 F/g in the three-electrode configuration. Analysis of the charge-storage mechanism using the power-law relationship revealed distinct electrochemical behavior associated with the surface chemistry of each graphene derivative. The results demonstrate that graphene-derivative chemistry governs the structure-property relationships, electrochemical response, and charge-storage behavior of electrospun CA nanocomposites, providing fundamental insights for the design of lightweight and flexible electrodes for energy-storage applications.