Direct growth of polyaniline nanotubes on carbon cloth for flexible and high-performance supercapacitors

Abstract

The present disclosure further provides an exemplary energy storage device fabricated from rectangular-tube polyaniline (PANI) that is chemically synthesized by a simple and convenient method. The rectangular-tube PANI, as an active material, is synthesized on a functionalized carbon cloth (FCC) as a substrate, and the obtained composite is immobilized on a stainless steel mesh as a current collector. The present disclosure additionally presents a facile technique for the direct synthesis of PANI nanotubes, with rectangular pores, on chemically activated CC.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An energy storage device comprising:
 two or more electrodes, wherein at least one of the two or more electrodes comprises a functionalized carbon electrode comprising a carbon substrate and one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes disposed on the carbon substrate;   a current collector; and   a redox electrolyte in direct contact with an interior surface and an exterior surface of the one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes.   
     
     
         2 . The energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes have a length of 100 nanometers to 10,000 nanometers. 
     
     
         3 . The energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes have an outer width of 10 nanometers to 1,000 nanometers. 
     
     
         4 . The energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes have an inner width of 50 nanometers to 800 nanometers. 
     
     
         5 . The energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein a surface of the one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes contains a nanostructure. 
     
     
         6 . The energy storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the redox electrolyte comprises a quinone. 
     
     
         7 . A method of fabricating a functionalized carbon electrode comprising:
 (a) functionalizing a carbon substrate to form a functionalized carbon substrate;   (b) preparing the functionalized carbon substrate;   (c) formulating a polymerization fluid; and   (d) synthesizing one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes on the functionalized carbon substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the functionalizing of the carbon substrate to form the functionalized carbon substrate comprises:
 (i) forming a functionalization solution;   (ii) heating the functionalization solution;   (iii) cooling the functionalization solution;   (iv) displacing a piece of the carbon substrate into the functionalization solution to form a piece of the functionalized carbon substrate; and   (v) rinsing the piece of the functionalized carbon substrate.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the heating of the functionalization solution occurs at a temperature of 30° C. to 120° C. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the heating of the functionalization solution occurs for a period of time of 60 minutes to 240 minutes. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising a step of annealing the functionalized carbon substrate after the carbon substrate is functionalized. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the functionalized carbon substrate is annealed at a temperature of 100° C. to 400° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the preparing of the functionalized carbon substrate comprises:
 (i) cutting a piece of the functionalized carbon substrate;   (ii) submerging the piece of functionalized carbon substrate in a solvent solution;   (iii) sonicating the piece of functionalized carbon substrate in the solvent solution; and   (iv) drying the piece of functionalized carbon substrate.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sonicating occurs for a period of time of 15 minutes to 60 minutes. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the drying occurs over a period of time of 3 hours to 12 hours. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the formulating of the polymerization fluid comprises:
 (i) forming a polymerization solution comprising:
 a conducting polymer; 
 an acid; 
 a detergent; 
 water; and 
 an oxidizing agent; and 
   (ii) stirring the polymerization solution to form the polymerization fluid.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the stirring of the polymerization solution occurs for a period of time of 10 minutes to 40 minutes. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the synthesizing of the one or more conducting polymer polygonal nanotubes on the functionalized carbon substrate comprises:
 (i) agitating the polymerization fluid;   (ii) immersing the functionalized carbon substrate in the polymerization fluid;   (iii) storing the functionalized carbon substrate in the polymerization fluid;   (iv) removing the functionalized carbon substrate from the polymerization fluid;   (v) washing the functionalized carbon substrate; and   (vi) drying the functionalized carbon substrate.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the storing of the functionalized carbon substrate in the polymerization fluid occurs at a temperature of 10° C. to 50° C. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the storing of the functionalized carbon substrate in the polymerization fluid occurs for a period of time of at least 8 hours.