Reduced graphene oxide-poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite as a supercapacitor

An exhaustive study on a nanocomposite-poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix material as a supercapacitor is presented. The study includes morphological, structural, and electrochemical characterization. Different electrolytes were used, for which both pseudocapacitance (for reduced graphene oxide) and electric double-layer capacitance (for functionalized graphene) were observed. An optimum nanocomposite weight percentage was found (2%), and the best performance with highest capacitance (30.4 F/g) was seen for the electrolyte including the smallest anions (OH-), being among the best values for similar systems, that is, a nanocomposite/nonconductive polymer matrix. In addition, a model is presented that explains the underlying electron transport mechanism. The results are promising for the construction of supercapacitors based on novel nanocomposite-poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix materials. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46685