Electrodeposition of hybrid film of polyaniline/silica and its pseudocapacitive properties

Electrodeposition of hybrid film of polyaniline (PANI) and nanoparticles of silica (SiO2) was conducted through electrochemical surface polymerization of aniline, which hydrogen-bonded onto surfaces of SiO2 particles. The hybrid film showed a 3D structure that facilitated the contact of electroactive material with electrolyte. PANI/SiO2 displayed a capacitance of 558 mF center dot cm(-2) in 0.5 M H2SO4 when charged-discharged at 1.5 mA center dot cm(-2), which is 2.5 times of that of similarly prepared PANI film. The capacitance of the hybrid film kept essentially constant when charging-discharging under current densities up to 24 mA center dot cm(-2).