Highly stable polyaniline array@ partially reduced graphene oxide hybrid fiber for high-performance flexible supercapacitors

The development of flexible supercapacitors (SCs) with high energy density, excellent deformation and cycling stability has great meaning for flexible electronic. Herein, polyaniline array@carbon nanotubes/partially reduced graphene oxide hybrid fiber (PANI@CNT/PRGO) was rationally designed and fabricated. The PANI array were vertically and uniformly grown on CNT/PRGO fiber by controlling the nucleation sites on the fiber. This unique structure enabled the ion to rapid diffusion and the electron to fast transport and sufficient utili-zation of active sites. The strong interfacial interaction between PANI and CNT/PRGO fiber can reduce the risk of PANI shedding from the fiber during mechanical deformation and long-term cycling. As a consequence, a fiber -shaped SC fabricated by PANI@CNT/PRGO fiber can deliver high volumetric capacitance of 50.2 F cm-3 at a current density of 60 mA cm-3 with 62.5% capacitance retention at 2000 mA cm -3. More encouragingly, the device not only possesses outstanding flexibility and deformation stability (Retention 96.6% after 2000 bending cycles) but also owns prominent long-term stability (Retention 95.8% after 20,000 cycles). Furthermore, the device can yield an outstanding energy density up to 6.97 mWh cm-3. This findings may carve out a new path for regulating the nucleation sites to control the distribution of nanomaterials on graphene fiber, thus obtain hybrid fiber electrodes with outstanding electrochemical performances.

Automated summary

In this study, a PANI@CNT/PRGO hybrid fiber was designed and fabricated, enabling rapid ion diffusion, fast electron transport, and sufficient utilization of active sites. The strong interfacial interaction between PANI and CNT/PRGO fiber resulted in excellent deformation and cycling stability, while achieving a high volumetric capacitance of 50.2 F cm-3 and outstanding energy density of 6.97 mWh cm-3.