High-Performance Fabric-based Electrochemical Capacitors Utilizing the Enhanced Electrochemistry of PEDOT:PSS Hybridized with SnO2 Nanoparticles

Abstract

We present the highly enhanced capacitive performance of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hybridized with SnO2 nanoparticles. The hybridized composites of the conductive polymer and metal oxide nanoparticles (SnO2/PEDOT:PSS) were prepared by dispersing an SnO2 nanopowder in a solution of PEDOT:PSS in water. Fabric supercapacitors using the SnO2/PEDOT:PSS as electrodes exhibited excellent specific capacitances, stable charging-discharging, and low internal resistance. SnO2/PEDOT:PSS demonstrated higher capacitive properties than bare PEDOT:PSS, indicating that hybridization of PEDOT:PSS with SnO2 nanoparticles enhanced the overall performance of the device for electrochemical storage. The enhanced electrochemical behavior of SnO2/PEDOT:PSS is attributed to its higher Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and the pseudocapacitance of SnO2 nanoparticles. Our work demonstrates that PEDOT:PSS hybridized with SnO2 nanoparticles could be useful in applications for flexible and wearable energy storage devices.