Role of dual dopants in highly ordered crystalline polyaniline nanospheres: Electrode materials in supercapacitors

Aniline is oxidized by ammonium persulfate oxidant with a weak organic acid, 1,3‐(6,7)‐napthalene trisulfonic acid (NTSA), via an aqueous polymerization pathway to polyaniline (PANI) salt. The effects of the sodium lauryl sulfate surfactant, mineral acid [sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 )], and a combination of surfactant with mineral acid in the aniline polymerization reaction are also carried. These salts were designated as PANI–NTSA–dodecyl hydrogen sulfate (DHS), PANI–NTSA–H 2 SO 4 , and PANI–NTSA–DHS–H 2 SO 4 , respectively. Interestingly, PANI–NTSA–DHS showed a highly ordered crystalline sample with a nanosphere morphology. These PANIs were used as electrode materials in supercapacitor applications. Among the four salts, the PANI–NTSA–DHS–H 2 SO 4 material showed higher values of specific capacitance (520 F/g), energy (26 W h/kg), and power densities (200 W/kg) at 0.3 A/g. Moreover, 77% of the original capacitance was retained after 2000 galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of 98–100%. PANI–NTSA–DHS–H 2 SO 4 was obtained in excellent yield with an excellent conductivity (6.8 S/cm) and a thermal stability up to 235°C. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42510.