Interfacial fabrication of polypyrrole/sulfonated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for electrochemical capacitors

The hierarchical polypyrrole/sulfonated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were synthesized via water/organic liquid interfacial fabrication. Sulfonated reduced graphene oxide with negative charges acted as the dopant of polypyrrole during the process of interfacial fabrication, which efficiently prompted the incorporation of sulfonated reduced graphene oxide in the polypyrrole matrix through the interfacial interaction between polypyrrole and sulfonated reduced graphene oxide. The effect of organic liquid on the microstructure and supercapacitive performance of the nanocomposites was investigated. In the case of hexane as the organic liquid, a high specific capacity of 265.6 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹ was obtained from the polypyrrole/sulfonated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite, and about 90% of the initial capacity was retained after 1,000 cycles. The improved electrochemical capacitance of the nanocomposite was ascribed to the combinative properties of good electrical conductivities of two components and the unique structure with increased specific surface area. These nanocomposites could be promising electrode materials for high‐performance electrochemical capacitors. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E378–E385, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers