Designing strategically functionalized conjugated microporous polymers with pyrene and perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride moieties with single-walled carbon nanotubes to enhance supercapacitive energy storage efficiency

We utilize straightforward and traditional Sonogashira coupling reactions to synthesize two conjugated microporous polymers linked with pyrene (referred to as PyT-PTCDA and PyT-PHTD CMPs) by combining the common precursor of 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene (PyT) with 1,7-dibromo-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA-Br₂) and 3,6-dibromophenanthrene-9,10-dione (PHTD-Br₂). Various analytical techniques, including spectroscopy and microscopy, are employed to characterize these two PyT-CMP materials. The PyT-PTCDA CMP exhibits notable thermal stability (with a decomposition temperature of 351 °C and a char yield of 61 wt %). We combine the PyT-PTCDA and PyT-PHTD CMPs with exceptionally conducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) through π-π stacking interactions between SWCNTs and PyT unit to improve their electrical conductivity and electrochemical performance. Electrochemical evaluations reveal that the PyT-PTCDA CMP/SWCNTs nanocomposite shows an impressive capacitance of 376 F g⁻¹ (at 0.5 A g⁻¹) in a three-electrode system. After undergoing 5000 cycles of charging and discharging, it maintained 98 % of its original capacitance while demonstrating an energy density of 52 Wh/kg. Additionally, in a symmetric coin cell system, the energy density is 17 Wh/kg and the capacitance is 119 F g⁻¹ for PyT-PTCDA CMP/SWCNTs. This approach presents a promising avenue for developing high-performance supercapacitors by strategically blending PyT-CMPs with highly conductive SWCNTs.