Fabrication and Electrochemical Characterization of Polyaniline/Titanium Oxide Nanoweb Composite Electrode for Supercapacitor Application.

In this study, polyaniline/titanium oxide (PANi-TiO2) nanoweb composite was fabricated through electrochemical deposition and electrospinning techniques, and the composite was further utilized as an electrode for a supercapacitor. The PANi-TiO2 composite film showed three-dimensional hierarchical micro/nano architecture. The film was deposited on the current collector without the use of any binders. The morphology of the PANi-TiO2 composite film was confirmed by the use of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis that polyaniline was grown in the form of nanorods with a diameter of 100 nm-200 nm on a TiO2 nanoweb. The chemical composition and quantitative analysis were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The electrochemical properties were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronopotentiometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The result of electrochemical tests indicated that TiO2-PANi electrode displayed a high specific capacitance of 306.5 Fg(-1) at the scan rate of 20 mVs(-1), with the capacitance retention ratio being 103% after 500 cycles at the scan rate of 50 mVs(-1).

Electrospinning of porphyrin/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers and their acid vapor sensing capability.

Fluorescing 5,10,15,20-terakis(1-methyl-4-pyridinio)porphyrin tetra(p-toluenesulfonate) (TMPyP)-embedded and -coated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers were fabricated by using the electrospinning technique. To improve nonpolar solvent solubility of TMPyP/PVA nanofibers, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as a cross-linking agent. UV-vis spectroscopy showed a strong Q band and two relatively weak Soret bands from the TMPyP/PVA nanofibers, and revealed that the TMPyP molecules were homogeneously loaded to the fibers. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the electrospun nanofibers had ultrafine structures with an average diameter of ca. 250 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the compositional structure of TMPyP/PVA/TEOS nanofibers and revealed the relative coverage of TMPyP molecules on the surface of TMPyP-embedded and TMPyP-coated PVA/TEOS fibers. For the comparison of the acid vapor sensitivity, TMPyP-embedded PVA/TEOS films, and TMPyP-embedded PVA/TEOS fibers, TMPyP-coated PVA/TEOS fibers were exposed to 1N nitric-acid vapor for 20-60 seconds. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that TMPyP-coated PVA/TEOS nanofibers exhibited better acid-sensing capability than TMPyP-embedded PVA/TEOS nanofibers and films.