From adsorbents to electrode materials: facile hydrothermal synthesis of montmorillonite/polyaniline/metal oxide (hydroxide) composites

Abstract

Montmorillonite/polyaniline/metal oxide (hydroxide) (MMT/PANI/MO(OH)) ternary hybrid composites were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process based on the common adsorbents of montmorillonite/polyaniline (MMT/PANI) composites after adsorption of metal ions. The MMT/PANI composites were fabricated by the intercalation of polyaniline in the clay layers using in situ intercalative oxidative polymerization of the protonated aniline. The as-prepared product of MMT/PANI-1.4/Co₃O₄ as electrode materials for supercapacitors exhibited a high specific capacitance of 234 F g⁻¹ at discharge currents of 0.1 A g⁻¹ in 1.0 M KOH aqueous solution, and the capacitance retention after 1000 cycles was about 97.5% indicating a better cycling stability. This strategy may provide a feasible way for transformation of the adsorbent loading of metal ions into electrode materials for supercapacitors.