Hydrogels obtained from aniline and piperazine: Synthesis, characterization and their application in hybrid supercapacitors

Firstly, Polyaniline-derived@poly(styrene sulfonate) (PANI-derived@PSS) hydrogel materials have been prepared by supramolecular self-assembly between positively charged poly(aniline-co-piperazine) (poly(Ani-co-Pip) chain and negatively-charged PSS chain by oxidative polymerization method. The study of the monomer ratio (X) (aniline:piperazine) has been analyzed. Afterwards, symmetric capacitors based on poly(ANI-co-Pip)@PSS-X mixed with Vulcan (Vu) have been studied. A combination of different techniques like cyclic voltammetry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) were applied to characterize both the chemical structure and the behavior of the hydrogels. The different hydrogels have exhibited electrical conductivity and electroactivity in acid conditions. Moreover, the effects of Vulcan on the structure and properties of poly(ANI-co-Pip)@PSS have been investigated. Additionally, supercapacitors based on as-prepared poly(ANI-co-Pip)/Vu@PSS displayed an improvement of capacitor performance compare to that of conventional hydrogels-based capacitors. This study offers valuable hints for achieving the preparation of supramolecular materials.