Development of conductive polymer based biocompatible supercapacitors

In this thesis, biocompatible and environmentally sensitive electrodes based on carbon cloth were developed by employing polyaniline (PANI), a conductive polymer, and NR4 (Natural Dye-4), a naturally derived metal-complex dye. Through the use of the electrochemical polymerization technique, the thickness of the active layer and the surface morphology were precisely controlled, and the effect of varying NR4 dye concentrations was systematically investigated. Morphological, structural, and chemical characterizations of the synthesized electrodes were performed using SEM, TEM, and XRD analyses. Their electrochemical performances were thoroughly evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Additionally, the biocompatibility of the developed materials was assessed through MTT assays, which provided insight into their potential cytotoxic effects on living cells. In the symmetric and asymmetric supercapacitor configurations prepared using these electrodes, operating voltages ranging from 0.55 V to 1.25 V were achieved. Energy densities reached up to 42.36 µWh cm⁻² (19.25 Wh kg⁻¹), while maximum power densities were calculated as 4.74 mW cm⁻² (1.101 kW kg⁻¹). Furthermore, the devices exhibited excellent cycling stability, maintaining 97.86% of their initial performance after 5000 cycles at a scan rate of 1 V s⁻¹ in 1 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. These findings demonstrate that the developed electrodes are not only suitable for high-performance energy storage systems but also hold significant promise as safe and efficient materials for biomedical and wearable technology applications. This thesis provides an interdisciplinary contribution to the field of supercapacitors by addressing both energy efficiency and biocompatibility in a unified research framework.