Fabrication of a low-cost efficient novel Ti3AlC2 MAX phase / Polyvinyl alcohol / Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) polymer nanocomposite film for symmetric supercapacitor

This work reports a systematic study of the electrochemical performance of the Ti3AlC2 MAX phase/PVA-PEDOT: PSS + DMSO polymer nanocomposite (PPM) films fabricated by the facile solution cast technique. A varying weight percentage of Ti3AlC2 MAX phase nanoparticles were dispersed in the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-[poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) + dimethyl sulfoxide)] (PEDOT: PSS + DMSO) polymer blend to fabricate the polymer nanocomposite films. The structural, morphological, optical, thermal, electrical, and electrochemical properties of the nanocomposite films were studied meticulously. The structural and morphological studies were done by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The optical properties of the PPM films were analyzed using the UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectra. The thermal analysis of the PPM films was done from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves. The ac conductivity and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were done to evaluate the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of the PPM films. The performance enhancement of the polymer blend film by loading Ti3AlC2 MAX phase nanofiller was investigated. The nanocomposite film having the highest conductivity and the greatest mechanical strength was further considered for the electrochemical characterization. The nanocomposites reported a specific capacitance of 52.8 F/g and 1500 mF/g in 0.1 M HCl electrolyte at a scan rate of 20 mV/s in the 3-electrode system and 2-electrode system, respectively. The Nyquist plots and Bode plots were plotted from the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data. The Nyquist plots were analyzed from the simulated equivalent circuits. The facile fabrication method of the supercapacitor electrode with improved thermal and mechanical properties will be beneficial for their commercial electrochemical applications in the future.