Effect of multi-wall carbon nanotubes on electrochemical performances of MnO2
Rahul Singhal,
Bhagirath Saini,
Monica Kiehnle-Benitez,
Thomas Sadowski,
Christine Broadbridge,
Jules Scanley,
Peter K. LeMaire,
Rakesh K. Sharma
Affiliations
Rahul Singhal
Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut 06050, USA
Bhagirath Saini
Sustainable Materials and Catalysis Research Laboratory (SMCRL), Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Karwad, Jodhpur 342037, India
Monica Kiehnle-Benitez
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Center for Nanotechnology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut 06515, USA
Thomas Sadowski
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Center for Nanotechnology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut 06515, USA
Christine Broadbridge
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Center for Nanotechnology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut 06515, USA
Jules Scanley
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Center for Nanotechnology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut 06515, USA
Peter K. LeMaire
Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut 06050, USA
Rakesh K. Sharma
Sustainable Materials and Catalysis Research Laboratory (SMCRL), Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Karwad, Jodhpur 342037, India
Composites of MnO2/multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared using different weight ratios of MWCNTs: KMnO4 (1:2, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, and 1:25) using a one-pot hydrothermal method. The synthesized materials were physically characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) BET, and thermogravimetric analysis. TEM and SEM studies indicate that MnO2 is homogeneously entangled with MWCNTs. The electrochemical performance evaluation was performed in a 3-electrode system using MnO2/MWCNT electrodes coated onto a Ni mesh as the working electrode, a Pt foil as the counter electrode, and Ag/AgCl as the reference electrode. The specific capacitance was obtained from charge–discharge studies at varying current densities between 0.5 and 5 A/g. The specific capacitance of MWCNT-KMnO4 (1:10, 1:15, and 1:25) samples was obtained as 114, 164, and 100 F/g, respectively, at a current density of 1 A/g.
