Electrochemical synthesis, in situ spectroelectrochemistry of conducting indole-titanium dioxide and zinc oxide polymer nanocomposites for rechargeable batteries

Electrochemical synthesis, in situ spectroelectrochemistry of conducting polyindole (PIn), polyindoleTiO(2) (PIn-TiO2) and polyindole-ZnO (PIn-ZnO) nanocomposites were investigated. The PIn and polymer nanocomposites were tested electrochemically for rechargeable batteries. The films were characterized by means of CVs, in situ UV-visible, FT-IR spectroscopies, in situ resistivity measurements, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The charge-discharging behavior of a Zn/1 M ZnSO4/PIn cell with a capacity of around 90 Ah Kg(-1) and on open circuit potential of around 1.45 V was compared with Zn/1 M ZnSO4/PIn-nanocomposite. The potential differences of redox couples (DE) for nanocomposites films show very good reversibility. A positive shift of potential was observed for polymer nanocomposites during redox scan. A significant variability was observed for in situ conductivity of the PIn and polymer nanocomposites. During in situ UV-visible and FT-IR measurements, intermediate spectroscopic behavior and positive shifts of wavelengths were observed for PIn and polymer nanocomposites. The SEM, TEM and EDX of nanocomposite films show the presence of nano particle in PIn. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.