Nanotubes based composites rich in nitrogen for supercapacitor application

Exceptional conducting and mechanical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Nts) used for carbonisation a polymer blend of melamine (M) and formaldehyde (F) enabled to prepare a unique Nt-composite rich in nitrogen. Using a different proportion of Nts and a polymer blend, a series of composites with a comparable texture (surface area of ca. 400 m(2)/g) but variable N content ranging from ca. 7 to 20 wt% has been obtained without any activation process. A detailed analysis of physicochemical properties of composites has been performed and correlated with supercapacitor characteristics. Composite with ca. 12 wt% of nitrogen showed the best charge propagation, its mesoporous network allowed a pseudocapacitance effect of nitrogen to be efficiently used. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.