Ultralight Flexible Asymmetric Supercapacitors Based On Manganese Dioxide–Polyaniline Nanocomposite and Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrodes Directly Deposited on Foldable Cellulose Papers

Abstract

A low-cost foldable asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) with remarkable capacitive performances is fabricated by using conventional filter papers as substrate via a simple and cost-effective method. A hybrid nanonetwork consisting of MnO2/polyaniline (PANI) as positive electrode and a highly compact 2D configuration of chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as negative electrode are prepared. MnO2/PANI nanocomposite (MPNC) is directly synthesized on a macroporous cellulose fiber network of paper through a one-step in situ polymerization technique. A highly flexible negative electrode based on 2D rGO sheets is prepared by using a simple two-step approach including vacuum filtration followed by a freeze-drying step. High specific capacitance over a broad operational voltage window in combination with reasonable cycling stability makes this simple and cost-effective paper-based supercapacitor a promising candidate for play a pivotal role in addressing earth-friendly energy-storage systems. The fabricated ASC keeps its remarkable capacitive performance when it is bent and folded, which provides the potential for wearable energy-storage devices.