Influence of Electrolytic Systems on Electrochemical Behavior of Dispersible Reduced Graphene Oxide Produced from Novel Reducing Agent

Graphene-based supercapacitors have been extensively explored to meet energy demands due to their excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical stability. This article gives important insights into solving the agglomeration and difficulty in dispersion issues by reducing and functionalizing graphene oxide (GO) using H-acid as a novel reducing agent. The sulfonic acid groups of H-acid help in the dispersion of as-prepared graphene (RGO/H-acid). The electrochemical performance of RGO/H-acid has been examined using two-electrode systems in different electrolytes such as 1 M KOH, H₂SO₄, and Na₂SO₄. Among these, the highest specific capacitance was 206.66 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ current density with excellent energy density of 23.24 Wh kg⁻¹ and power density of 1781.98 W kg⁻¹ in KOH electrolyte as compared to H₂SO₄ and Na₂SO₄. The EIS shows excellent supercapacitive performance and good charge transfer behavior of RGO/H-acid, and it shows lower series resistance of 0.72 Ω. The RGO/H-acid shows excellent cyclic stability up to 15000 charge-discharge cycles with 85.7% capacitance was retained, while only 15.3% performance was declined compared to initial specific capacitance. The present article highlighted the role and effect of acidic, basic, and neutral electrolytes toward the electrochemical performance of RGO/H-acid.