Silver-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide/PANI-DBSA-PLA Composite 3D-Printed Supercapacitors

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2024 Oct 20;14(20):1681. doi: 10.3390/nano14201681.

Abstract

This study presents a novel approach to the development of high-performance supercapacitors through 3D printing technology. We synthesized a composite material consisting of silver-doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA)-doped polyaniline (PANI), which was further blended with polylactic acid (PLA) for additive manufacturing. The composite was extruded into filaments and printed into circular disc electrodes using fused deposition modeling (FDM). These electrodes were assembled into symmetric supercapacitor devices with a solid-state electrolyte. Electrochemical characterization, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) tests, demonstrated considerable mass-specific capacitance values of 136.2 F/g and 133 F/g at 20 mV/s and 1 A/g, respectively. The devices showed excellent stability, retaining 91% of their initial capacitance after 5000 cycles. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles enhanced the conductivity of rGO, while PANI-DBSA improved electrochemical stability and performance. This study highlights the potential of combining advanced materials with 3D printing to optimize energy storage devices, offering a significant advancement over traditional manufacturing methods.

Keywords: 3D printing supercapacitors; additive manufacturing; electrochemical performance; fused deposition modeling; polyaniline–DBSA composite; silver-doped reduced graphene oxide.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the MiSE-ENEA bilateral program agreement “Research on Electric System”—Project 1.3 “Frontier materials for energy uses” (ADP MiSE-ENEA Piano Triennale di Realizzazione 2019-2021)—and the ENEA-NANO_MATES cooperating agreement on “Materials and components for additive manufacturing, with an impact on the electrical system”.