Perylene diimide incorporated activated carbon as a composite electrode for asymmetric supercapacitor

Organic molecules-based supercapacitors have piqued interest as an efficient energy storage component. In this study, an organic composite based asymmetric supercapacitor has been developed using optimized amount of perylene diimide (PDI) in combination with activated carbon. The composite sample with 1 wt% PDI showed remarkable electrochemical performance, with a specific capacitance/(specific capacity) of 617 F/g/(171.3 mAh/g) at 0.5 A/g, higher than that of the individual components. Further, the assembled asymmetric device PPAC/PDI-1//PPAC delivered a high energy density of 62.3 Wh/kg at a power density of 455 W/kg, while retaining 91.4 % of its initial specific capacitance after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. This study provides an avenue for the utilization of organic molecules for super-capacitor application owing to its polarity and conjugation with carbon.