Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of polythiophene-carbon nanotubes composites as supercapacitors

Supercapacitors are widely used as electrical energy storage devices as a backup in industry power appliances and also in household appliances. The use of carbonaceous material in developing supercapacitors results in a lower energy storage capacity but is accompanied by the desire for higher stability. Meanwhile, the application of metal oxides or conducting polymers in supercapacitors provides a high storage capacity albeit with reduced stability. This research focuses on fabricating a hybrid of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based polythiophene (PTH) composites for feasibility in supercapacitor application. By analyzing the results, it was found that the 0.2 g CNT/PTH composite has electrical conductivity, σ of 0.022 s/cm which was lower than 0.5 g CNT/PTH composite which had 0.038 s/cm of electrical conductivity. Besides that, the specific capacitance, CS of the 0.2 g CNTs, and 0.5 g CNTs with PTH composites were found to be 0.032 F/g and 0.057 F/g, respectively. The energy density, however, was found to be higher in 0.2 g CNT/PTH composite with a value of 0.0062 w/g whereas 0.0035 w/g for 0.5 g CNT/PTH composite. Based on the attained data, it can be concluded that the weight% of CNTs in the composite can be the preferred choice that does affect the overall performance of the supercapacitor.