Three
phenylenediamine (PD) monomers, o-phenylenediamine
(OPD), m-phenylenediamine (MPD), and p-phenylenediamine (PPD), were used to prepare the functionalized
graphene (PD/rGO) networks. The results obtained from a series of
chemical, thermal, and rheological analyses elucidated the mechanism
of the covalent bonding and the existence of cross-linked graphene
networks. The measured XRD patterns and molecular dynamic calculations
discovered that those PPD and MPD molecules could enlarge graphene
interlayer spacing to 1.41 and 1.30 nm, respectively, while OPD molecules
were disorderly bonded or nonbonded to the basal planes of graphene
layers, resulting in small and variable interlayer distances. The
loadings of PD monomers were optimized to achieve superior supercapacitor
performance. Electrochemical study showed that PPD/rGO exhibited the
largest specific capacitance of 422 F/g with excellent cycling stability
and low charge transfer resistance. The large variations in the capacitance
values among PD/rGO networks with different PD monomers were explained
by the difference in the graphene nanostructures, reversible redox
transitions, and charge transfer characteristics. Particularly, density
function theory calculations were adopted to compare electronic properties
of the PD/rGO composites, including formation energy, electron density
distribution, HOMO energy levels, and electron density of states near
the Fermi level.
Ceramic-based solid electrolytes and separators are particularly attractive for use in next-generation batteries as a way to increase the electrochemical stability window and improve safety. However, batteries with higher energy...
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