Structural and Morphology Properties of Polypyrrole / TiO2 - CuO Nanocomposite for Supercapacitor Applications
College of Education - Tuz Khurmatu, Tikrit, University, Salah Al-Din, Iraq.
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Research Article
Open Access Research Journal of Chemistry and Pharmacy, 2026, 09(01), 090–106.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjcp.2026.9.1.0029
Publication history:
Received on 22 August 2026; revised on 28 September 2026; accepted on 30 September 2026
Abstract:
Conductive polymers have recently attracted considerable attention for supercapacitor applications. Among these polymers, polypyrole is the most commonly used due to its unique electrical conductivity, photovoltaic properties, redox properties and excellent environmental stability. Nanocomposites of polypyrrole (ppy) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) doped with copper oxide (CuO) were prepared, with titanium dioxide/copper oxide added at concentrations of 10 per cent, 30 per cent and 50 per cent using a simple and inexpensive chemical oxidation polymerisation process. The structural and physical properties of these nanocomposites were characterised and evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was also employed. The FTIR spectrum confirmed the formation of a polymeric nanocomposite, as the characteristic bands of polypyrrole shifted to a region with a lower wavenumber. The UV-Vis spectrum revealed that all absorption peaks of the composite had shifted to a higher wavelength compared to polypyrrole. This shift in the absorption peaks is attributed to the strong interaction between the nanoparticles and the polymer chain. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the nanoparticles were spherical in shape and uniformly distributed within the polypyrrole. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the crystallinity of the nanocomposite increases with increasing nanoparticle concentration. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry (CV) data demonstrated the outstanding performance of the hybrid supercapacitor based on these composites, with high capacitance, good energy density and excellent power density.
Keywords:
Polypyrrole (PPy); Transition Metal Oxides; XRD / FESEM; Cyclic Voltammetry (CV):Chemical Oxidative Polymerization; Supercapacitor.
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