Electrochemical properties of PEDOT/WO3 composite films for high performance supercapacitor application

Tungsten oxide was electrochemically deposited from a metastable acidic solution of isopolytungstate on glassy carbon electrodes coated by the films of a conducting polymer poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT). The formation of PEDOT/WO3 composite films during electrochemical deposition of tungsten oxide into the polymer matrix was gravimetrically monitored by EQCM. The morphology of WO3 deposits was studied using SEM, TEM and EDX analysis, including element mapping and depth concentration profile of main elements. SEM and TEM images of PEDOT/WO3 composites show disperse distribution of WO3 precipitates in the porous matrix of PEDOT, possessing high surface area and pore volume, effective for charge transport. Electrochemical behavior of PEDOT/WO3 was investigated in 0.5 M H2SO4 by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The WO3 component in the obtained PEDOT/WO3 composite electrodes exhibited high specific capacitance of 689 F g(-1) in the potential range -0.3-0.0 V. The work presents a simple approach for the synthesis of PEDOT/WO3 composites with high values of specific capacitance. The obtained results indicate that PEDOT/WO3 composite could be a promising electrode material for supercapacitor applications. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.