Quantum dots of molybdenum nitride embedded in continuously distributed polyaniline as novel electrode material for supercapacitor

Abstract Molybdenum nitride (Mo2N) and molybdenum nitride/polyaniline composites (Mo2N@PANI) have been prepared by simple static precipitation and in situ growth methods. The morphological and structural properties and chemical composition of the prepared materials have been analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The obtained results illustrate that in molybdenum nitride/polyaniline composites, polyaniline has been allocate continuously embedded with the quantum dots of molybdenum. Therefore, the formation of quantum dots of molybdenum and its uniform distribution in polyaniline bulk suggested that the synthesized materials could be used as an electrode material of supercapacitors. From the results of electrochemical analysis, the mass ratio capacitance of molybdenum nitride/polyaniline composites have been found to be 111.8 F/g at 0.5 A/g, while the mass ratio capacitance of pure molybdenum nitride is only 47.5 F/g at the same current density. Hence, obtained results clearly confirm that molybdenum nitride/polyaniline composites nanostructured quantum dot material is one of the best and novel electrode materials for high performed supercapacitors which exhibits excellent electrochemical properties.