Fabrication and Investigation of a MoS2/Fe3O4/PANI Composite for Supercapacitor Applications

This study investigates a successful fabrication of MoS2/Fe3O4/PANI composite by chemical co-precipitation method. The facile hydrothermal approach was employed to synthesize a MoS2/Fe3O4 composite, followed by the utilization of a conventional chemical oxidation strategy to produce a PANI coating on the composite, thereby generating an active material for electrochemical reactions and a structure facilitating the transportation of ions via multiple pathways. The fabricated MoS2/Fe3O4/PANI composite was characterized by SEM, ICP, XRD, FT-IR, and so on. In this study, we delved into the electrochemical charge storage feature of MoS2/Fe3O4/PANI. The electrochemical characteristics of the nanocomposite were assessed through the implementation of cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronopotentiometry techniques in a 3 M KOH electrolytic solution, utilizing nickel foam as both a material support and current collector for two electrode configurations. The findings indicate that MoS2, as the support matrix, possesses notable attributes such as a substantial surface area, elevated electrical conductivity, and varied oxidation states. As a result, the electrical conductivity performance of the MoS2/Fe3O4/PANI composite, which includes well-dispersed Fe3O4 nano-cubes on the surfaces of MoS2, is significantly enhanced. In comparison to pure Fe3O4, the resultant composite revealed improved specific capacitances of 401 F/g at 1.25 A g(-1), along with outstanding cyclic stability of 89.3 even after undergoing 5000 cycles. The superior electrochemical properties observed may be ascribed to both the proficient electrical conductivity of MoS2 and the incorporation of Fe3O4 particles, which are anchored onto the MoS2. The results prove that MoS2/Fe3O4/PANI hybrid composite holds as highly efficient electrode material for supercapacitor.