Synthesis of PI-MWCNTs flexible electrode material loaded on carbon cloth and its capacitive performance

Abstract

Taking the preparation of electrode materials of supercapacitors, the study of properties and the performance of assembled asymmetric supercapacitors as the core contents, and improving the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors as the main purpose, the in-situ polymerization method was used to prepare carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PI-MWCNTs) grafted polyimide solution, which is used as the precursor of nitrogen-doped carbon to realize the growth of composites on the surface of carbon cloth and as electrode material.Manganese dioxide-carbon cloth (MnO2-CC) as the positive electrode, Polyimide-carbon cloth grafted with multi-walled carbon nanotubes as negative electrode (PI-MWCNTs-CC), build asymmetric supercapacitors. The structure and electrochemical properties of the electrode materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, raman spectroscopy, surface area and pore size testing, X line photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. According to the study, when the scan rate is 20 mV/s, asymmetric capacitor potential window can be increased to 1.3 V and its volume specific capacity is 1.80 F/cm3.When the power density is 14.08 mW/cm3, the energy density can reach up to 0.423 mWh/cm3.

Keywords

• polyimide
• carbon cloth
• carbon nanotube
• manganese dioxide
• asymmetric supercapacitor