The conducting polymer polyaniline (PANI) is a promising pseudocapacitive electrode material for supercapacitors due to its high redox activity and intrinsic conductivity. However, its application to meet the ever-growing portable electronics and electric vehicle markets is largely hindered by its instability during repeated charge/discharge processes. Herein, a covalent coupling strategy of stabilizing aniline tetramer (TANI), the basic building block of PANI, is designed to construct highly durable hybrid electrode materials for supercapacitors with ultralong lifespan. By substituting long-chain PANI with short-chain TANI and introducing covalent linkages between TANI and carbon-based materials, the charge/discharge cycling stability of PANI-based supercapacitors is greatly enhanced. The prepared hybrid electrode material as well as the fabricated symmetric quasi-solid-state supercapacitors exhibit exceptional cycling stability. The capacitance can be further boosted through fast and reversible redox reactions on the electrode surface using a redox-active electrolyte while maintaining remarkable long-term stability. While conducting polymers are known to be hampered by their poor cycling stability, the covalent coupling strategy provides an effective way to achieve extended longevity for conducting polymer-based energy storage devices.

Covalent coupling-stabilized conducting polymers for high-performance supercapacitors

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.