Advanced Electrode Coatings Based on Poly-N-Phenylanthranilic Acid Composites with Reduced Graphene Oxide for Supercapacitors

The electrochemical behavior of new electrode materials based on poly-N-phenylanthranilic acid (P-N-PAA) composites with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was studied for the first time. Two methods of obtaining RGO/P-N-PAA composites were suggested. Hybrid materials were synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerization of N-phenylanthranilic acid (N-PAA) in the presence of graphene oxide (GO) (RGO/P-N-PAA-1), as well as from a P-N-PAA solution in DMF containing GO (RGO/P-N-PAA-2). GO post-reduction in the RGO/P-N-PAA composites was carried out under IR heating. Hybrid electrodes are electroactive layers of RGO/P-N-PAA composites stable suspensions in formic acid (FA) deposited on the glassy carbon (GC) and anodized graphite foil (AGF) surfaces. The roughened surface of the AGF flexible strips provides good adhesion of the electroactive coatings. Specific electrochemical capacitances of AGF-based electrodes depend on the method for the production of electroactive coatings and reach 268, 184, 111 F∙g(−1) (RGO/P-N-PAA-1) and 407, 321, 255 F∙g(−1) (RGO/P-N-PAA-2.1) at 0.5, 1.5, 3.0 mA·cm(−2) in an aprotic electrolyte. Specific weight capacitance values of IR-heated composite coatings decrease as compared to capacitance values of primer coatings and amount to 216, 145, 78 F∙g(−1) (RGO/P-N-PAA-1(IR)) and 377, 291, 200 F∙g(−1) (RGO/P-N-PAA-2.1(IR)). With a decrease in the weight of the applied coating, the specific electrochemical capacitance of the electrodes increases to 752, 524, 329 F∙g(−1) (AGF/RGO/P-N-PAA-2.1) and 691, 455, 255 F∙g(−1) (AGF/RGO/P-N-PAA-1(IR)).