We introduce high-performance polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite supercapacitors based on gamma aluminum oxide (γ-Al2O3) and gamma iron (III) oxide (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles with a high specific surface area. PANI and its polymer nanocomposites are synthesized via in situ electropolymerization on gold electrodes. The structures and morphologies are characterized by cyclic voltammetry, FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, and EDX. The electrochemical properties and specific surface area of the electrodes are investigated by galvanostatic charge– discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and BET theory. The enhanced specific capacitance with higher surface area and conductivities is observed in PANI/γ-Fe2O3 (342 F/g), PANI/γ-Al2O3 (292 F/g) and PANI (180 F/g) electrodes with a constant current density of 1A/g. The cyclic performance of the PANI electrodes following 8000 cycles of operations were at 87% (PANI), 91% (PANI/γ-Al2O3), and 93% (PANI/γ-Fe2O3) of their initial capacitance. In addition, higher specific capacitances, higher conductivity and cyclic self-stabilities observed for the PANI/nanocomposite electrodes can provide new opportunities in the field of energy storage and supercapacitor applications.
