Enhanced electrochemical performance of laser scribed graphene films incorporating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanoparticles

For effective use of graphene and conducting polymer, the composite films of laser scribed graphene (LSG) combined with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) are prepared with a facile laser scribing technology. Each component in the hybrid films provides unique and crucial function to achieve optimized electrochemical properties. In the presence of PEDOT nanoparticles, the LSG/PEDOT hybrid films are found to possess the better energy storage ability. The electrochemical performances of the films are evaluated with cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charging-discharging (GCD) techniques. Volumetric capacity of composite film (64.33 F/cm3) is much higher than that of pure laser-scribed graphene film (3.89 F/cm3). The hybrid film exhibits excellent charge/discharge rate and good cycling stability, retaining 94.6% of its initial charge after 1000 cycles. The electrochemical performance improvement is primarily due to the effect of PEDOT nanoparticles in prevention of agglomeration of LSG layers and the increased surface areas accessible to electrolyte ions. It is anticipated that the PEDOT nanoparticles inserted into graphene oxide layers following laser scribing reduction procedure could be a promising large scale fabrication method for supercapacitor electrodes.