Chemical synthesis of hybrid materials based on PAni and PEDOT with polyoxometalates for electrochemical supercapacitors

Abstract

Hybrid organic–inorganic materials based on conjugated polymers constitute state-of-the-art compounds with recognized technological implications. In the area of energy conversion, production and storage devices, these materials have been applied as electrodes for batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells or solar cells, among others. Their importance relies on the wide variety of organic and inorganic counterparts that these hybrids can be made of. The properties from each part can be tailored in order to contribute to a final desired characteristic or the combined properties from both. The unique combination of useful properties found in these materials include electronic conductivity (e− or h+), ionic transport, reversible electroactivity, electrooptical properties typical of semiconductors as well as electrochromic, pH- and composition-dependent properties, all of them to add to their polymeric nature. This is an excellent basis for the design of hybrid materials in which either of these properties or their combinations work to enhance or combine with those of a myriad inorganic phases with electronic, magnetic, photochemical, electrochemical, optical or catalytic properties. A large variety of functional hybrid materials can thus be designed and fabricated in which multifunctionality can be easily built to address specific technological needs. In this work we present our most recent results on new synthesis methodology developed for the chemical synthesis of the hybrid PAni/PMo12 and their application as electrochemical supercapacitors. We also report the synthesis of a new hybrid material of PEDOT/PMo12 synthesized for the first time by chemical methods and applied also in electrochemical supercapacitors. Initial results shows capacitance values as high as 168 F/g for the hybrid PAni/PMo12 and about 130 F/g for the hybrid PEDOT/PMo12.