Polyaniline/Cellulose Nanocrystals/Carbon Dot Composite for Supercapacitor Application

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), a sustainable nanomaterial, exhibit great promise as a template for fabricating supercapacitor electrodes. This study investigates the use of CNC as a precursor for synthesizing carbon dots (CD) and as a template for the in situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI). The combined potential of CNC, PANI, and CD in developing supercapacitor electrodes is being explored. The PANI-CNC-CD nanocomposite electrode demonstrates a gravimetric specific capacitance of 488 F g⁻¹ at 2 A g⁻¹, outperforming the PANI-CNC nanocomposite. Furthermore, a symmetric supercapacitor utilizing the PANI-CNC-CD composite as the working electrode is achieving impressive results, including a gravimetric specific capacitance of 101 F g⁻¹ at 2 A g⁻¹, an energy density of 14 Wh kg⁻¹, and a capacitance retention of 82% even after 10,000 cycles. This study presents an effective strategy for developing cost-efficient and easily prepared nanocellulose-based composite electrodes, advancing their demand for supercapacitor applications while aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by promoting the use of renewable materials.