Two-Dimensional Heterostructure of PPy/CNT- E. coli for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes

Kwang Se Lee; Jung Yong Kim; Jongwook Park; Jang Myoun Ko; Sharon Mugobera

doi:10.3390/ma15175804

Two-Dimensional Heterostructure of PPy/CNT- E. coli for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes

Materials (Basel). 2022 Aug 23;15(17):5804. doi: 10.3390/ma15175804.

Authors

Kwang Se Lee¹, Jung Yong Kim^{2

3}, Jongwook Park⁴, Jang Myoun Ko⁵, Sharon Mugobera⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Advanced Materials & Chemical Engineering, Kyungnam College of Information & Technology, 45 Jurye-ro, Busan 47011, Sasang-gu, Korea.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O.Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.
³ Center of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, P.O.Box 1888, Adama, Ethiopia.
⁴ Integrated Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Gyeonggi, Korea.
⁵ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hanbat National University, 125 Dongseo-daero, Daejeon 34158, Yuseong-gu, Korea.

Abstract

The nano-biocomposite electrodes composed of carbon nanotube (CNT), polypyrrole (PPy), and E. coli-bacteria were investigated for electrochemical supercapacitors. For this purpose, PPy/CNT-E. coli was successfully synthesized through oxidative polymerization. The PPy/CNT-E. coli electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance of 173 F∙g^-1 at the current density of 0.2 A∙g^-1, which is much higher than that (37 F∙g^-1) of CNT. Furthermore, it displayed sufficient stability after 1000 charge/discharge cycles. The CNT, PPy/CNT, and PPy/CNT-E. coli composites were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and surface analyzer (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, BET). In particular, the pyrrole monomers were easily adsorbed and polymerized on the surface of CNT materials, as well as E. coli bacteria enhanced the surface area and porous structure of the PPy/CNT-E. coli composite electrode resulting in high performance of devices.

Keywords: bacteria; carbon nanotube; polypyrrole.

Grants and funding

20001114/Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy