This study presents polyaniline (PANI) synthesis and characterization by using a novel acid-assisted polymerization technique. Two PANI suspensions with different ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS) concentrations were synthesized at room temperature; i.e., the ratio of aniline to APS was 10:1 for PANI1 and 5:1 for PANI2. SEM measurements revealed distinct structures: a porous nanofibrillar structure for PANI1 and a densely packed structure for PANI2. The electrochemical performance of the fabricated PANI/glassy carbon (GC) electrodes was evaluated using a three-electrode cell configuration at scan rates of 10 and 30 mV/s. The PANI1/GC heterostructure exhibited a specific capacitance of 160 F/g, while this value increased to 407 F/g for the PANI2/GC. This research contributes not only to the understanding of PANI synthesis at room temperature but also to its potential applications in electrochemical energy storage devices.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Understanding how to tune the properties of electroactive materials is a key parameter for their applications in energy storage systems. This work presents a comprehensive study in tailoring polyaniline (PANI) suspensions by acid-assisted polymerization method and their subsequent deposition on boron-doped diamond (BDD) supports with low/high B concentrations. The porous or densely packed morphology of PANI is successfully controlled by varying the monomer-to-initiator ratio. The interaction between PANI and BDDs leads to the shift in oxidation and reduction potentials, and the high B doping resulted in the reduction of the oxidation potentials. Notably, the highest specific capacitance of 958 F g-1, which represents 90% of the theoretical capacitance, is recorded for the support with relatively low B content. Moreover, PANI obtained by slow kinetic has a stronger interaction with the B-doped diamond support, which is confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing PANI suspension preparation methods and selecting appropriate boron doping concentrations in nanodiamond supports for composite electrodes in energy storage applications.

• Keywords
• acid‐assisted polymerization, boron‐doped diamond, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, polyaniline, supercapacitor,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH