Investigating the Relationship between the Conditions of Polythiophene Electrosynthesis and the Pseudocapacitive Properties of Polythiophene-Based Electrodes

Abstract

Thin polythiophene films are electrochemically deposited onto different types of substrates. We investigate the effects the conditions of polythiophene (PT) synthesis have on the pseudocapacitive (charge accumulation) properties of fabricated electrodes and identify the optimal synthesis conditions. Composite electrodes with a polyacrylamide (PAM) sublayer modified with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid exhibit the largest specific capacity (up to 550 F g⁻¹). With a PAM sublayer, polythiophene-based electrodes exhibit lesser (by 19%) losses of the initial capacitance compared to their PAM-free counterparts. The surface morphology of electrodes fabricated using steel support is studied by scanning electron microscopy and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption.