Fabrication of Carbon Cloth-Enrobed MnFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@PPy Nanoparticles for a Flexible Symmetric Supercapacitor Device
Rama Devi, Jagabandhu Patra, Kavita Tapadia, Alekha Kumar Sutar, Jeng‐Kuei Chang, Tungabidya Maharana
Abstract
Massive improvements in energy storage devices have prompted scientists to develop physically and chemically electroactive methods for superior supercapacitor (SC) applications. This study focuses on investigating the synergistic impact of transition metal oxides, PPy, and carbon substrates on the electrochemical performance of SCs. A facile hydrothermal approach is employed to synthesize a MnFe 2 O 4 @PPy nanocomposite on carbon cloth (CC). The CC-enrobed MnFe 2 O 4 @PPy nanocomposite, having a mass loading of 2.7 mg cm –2, demonstrates exceptional electrochemical performance in a three-electrode system using aqueous 1 M H 2 SO 4 electrolytes. The electrode exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 1169 F g –1 at 1 A g –1 current density, alongside an outstanding capacitance retention of 87.6% capacity after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, a flexible symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) is constructed by integrating CC-enrobed MnFe 2 O 4 @polypyrrole as both anode and cathode, with a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–H 2 SO 4 gel electrolyte as the separator. This SSC demonstrates promising energy and power densities of 73.6 Wh kg –1 and 725.9 W kg –1, respectively, and exhibits a long cycle life with 90.13% capacity retention over 5000 cycles. The CC-enrobed MnFe 2 O 4 @PPy nanocomposite electrode shows significant potential for storing electrochemical energy.