One-step synthesis of graphene/polypyrrole nanofiber composites as cathode material for a biocompatible zinc/polymer battery

The significance of developing implantable, biocompatible, miniature power sources operated in a low current range has become manifest in recent years to meet the demands of the fast-growing market for biomedical microdevices. In this work, we focus on developing high-performance cathode material for biocompatible zinc/polymer batteries utilizing biofluids as electrolyte. Conductive polymers and graphene are generally considered to be biocompatible and suitable for bioengineering applications. To harness the high electrical conductivity of graphene and the redox capability of polypyrrole (PPy), a polypyrrole fiber/graphene composite has been synthesized via a simple one-step route. This composite is highly conductive (141 S cm^-1) and has a large specific surface area (561 m² g^-1). It performs more effectively as the cathode material than pure polypyrrole fibers. The battery constructed with PPy fiber/reduced graphene oxide cathode and Zn anode delivered an energy density of 264 mWh g^-1 in 0.1 M phosphate-buffer saline.