TiO2-C nanowire arrays@polyaniline core-shell nanostructures on carbon cloth for high performance supercapacitors

TiO₂-C@polyaniline (PANI) are synthesized on the surface of carbon cloth (CC) as flexible electrode, in which TiO₂-C nanowire arrays (NWAs) work as supporting frame to enhance the mechanical stability of composites, while PANI is coated on TiO₂-C NWAs to make a core-shell structure and form a continuous conductive 3D network between isolated TiO₂-C nanowires. By virtue of such unique structure design, the as-prepared TiO₂-C@PANI composites achieve desirable cycling performance while possess high specific capacitance. Concretely, this TiO₂-C@PANI composite shows remarkable specific capacitance of 1818 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹, good rate capability with 75.5% capacitance retention at 10 A g⁻¹, and excellent cycling performance with 80% capacity retention over 5000 cycles at a charge-discharge current of 10 A g⁻¹. Besides, the prefabricated TiO₂-C@PANI//AC asymmetric hybrid supercapacitor also exhibits a high energy density of 32.4 Wh kg⁻¹ at a power density of 850.0 W kg⁻¹. In sum, such TiO₂-C@PANI CC electrode material has a bright future in the application of supercapacitors and provides a new strategy for other conductive polymer-based electrochemical devices.