Hydrothermal synthesis of PEDOT/rGO composite for supercapacitor applications

In this study, PEDOT/rGO composite has been successfully synthesized using hydrothermal method. Precursor solution of EDOT monomer was mixed with a predetermined solution of graphene oxide (GO). The resultant mixture was then hydrothermally treated. Surface morphology, crystal structure vibrational response and thermal stability have been studied using standard characterization techniques: field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The observed results confirm that the required composite of PEDOT/rGO has indeed been synthesized. Electrochemical properties of the synthesized product were studied in 6 M KOH aqueous solution, using characterization techniques such as: cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements. The results show a high value of specific capacitance (102.8 F g⁻¹) at 10 mV s⁻¹, indicating that the composite can be profitably used for energy storage devices. (paper)