Synergistic effect of PPy/Zn-MOF supported on layered reduced graphene oxide as a superior electrode material for enhanced supercapacitor applications

The research work focuses on a simple approach for preparing a ternary composite, Reduced Graphene Oxide/Polypyrrole/Zinc-Metal-Organic Framework (rGO/PPy/Zn-MOF), as an electrode material for enhanced supercapacitor applications. The synthesis is carried out by a simple co-precipitation method, resulting in a well-integrated composite with superior electrochemical properties. The chemical and physical characteristics of the synthesized material are investigated through various spectral and analytical techniques. Key characterization studies such as Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic Charge-Discharge (GCD) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) analysis were performed to assess the electrochemical properties of the material. The composite exhibits a specific capacitance of 733 F/g at 1 A/g in a three-electrode system with 97.89% capacitance retention over 5000 continuous charge-discharge cycles, confirming its excellent stability. Furthermore, in an asymmetric two-electrode configuration (rGO/PPy/Zn-MOF//Activated Carbon), the device achieves a high energy density of 42.5 Wh/kg at a power density of 930.5 W/kg, with 95.4% cyclic stability, highlighting its suitability for practical energy storage applications. These findings highlight rGO/PPy/Zn-MOF (CPM – Carbon - Polymer - MOF composite) as a potential material for diverse commercial supercapacitor applications providing excellent capacitance and long-term stability.