Graphene-cerium oxide/porous polyaniline composite as a novel electrode material for supercapacitor

In this study, a novel ternary nanocomposite, graphene-cerium oxide/porous polyaniline (rGO-CeO2/porous PANI), was synthesized via in situ polymerization and electrochemical reduction methods. A series of characterization such as SEM, XRD, and FTIR for the as-prepared composites proved that the ternary nanocomposite with well-connected nanosheets and porous structure has been successfully synthesized. The electrochemical performance testing illustrated that the electrochemical capacitance of rGO-CeO2/porous PANI nanocomposite could reach 454.8 F g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 when the mass ratio of CeO2 and porous PANI was 1:4. And the specific capacitance retained 70.23% after 10000 cycles at a current density of 5.0 A g−1 in 1.0 mol L−1 H2SO4 electrolyte. In comparison to the other nanomaterials, the excellent electrochemical performance of rGO-CeO2/porous PANI nanocomposite is attributed to good electrical conductivity and large specific surface area brought from graphene and porous PANI, energy density and better cycle life derived from CeO2, and synergetic contribution among the three components. Thus, the rGO-CeO2/porous PANI nanocomposite is a promising electrode material for supercapacitor. [Display omitted] •Ternary rGO-CeO2/porous PANI nanocomposite was synthesized via three-step approach.•The Cs of rGO-CeO2/porous PANI (1:4) could reach 454.8 F g−1 at 1.0 A g−1.•The specific capacitance of ternary composite retained 70.23% after 10000 cycles.•Ternary rGO-CeO2/porous PANI (1:4) exhibited ideal capacitive behavior.