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

Electrodeposition of hybrid film of polyaniline (PANI) and nanoparticles of silica (SiO 2 ) was conducted through electrochemical surface polymerization of aniline, which hydrogen-bonded onto surfaces of SiO 2 particles. The hybrid film showed a 3D structure that facilitated the contact of electroactive material with electrolyte. PANI/SiO 2 displayed a capacitance of 558 mF•cm −2 in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 when charged–discharged at 1.5 mA•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•cm –2 .