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One-step hydrothermal synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes/hydroquinone hydrogel and its electrochemical properties

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Abstract

Using oxalic acid as a reducing agent, hydroquinone (HQ), graphene (GO), and acidified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were compounded directly to synthesize reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/CNTs/HQ hydrogels by a one-step hydrothermal method, and the phase composition and electrochemical properties were studied. During the hydrothermal reaction, the π bond in the hydroquinone molecule will be compounded with the large π bond on the surface of rGO due to the π-π interaction. At the same time, CNTs play a role of spacer and support in rGO/CNTs/HQ and improve the conductivity of rGO/CNTs/HQ. The prepared rGO/CNTs/HQ has a mass-specific capacitance of 219 Fg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1; at 10 Ag−1, the mass-specific capacitance retains 81%, confirming its excellent rate performance; After 2000 cycles, the mass ratio capacitance retains 94%, and the cycle performance is excellent.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Grant no.1908085MB37).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advance Catalytic Material and Reaction Engineering, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Green Manufacturing of Power Battery, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, People’s Republic of China

    Kelei Wang, Lei Hua, Zhongbing Wang & Chunnian Chen

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  1. Kelei Wang
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  2. Lei Hua
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Correspondence to Chunnian Chen.

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Wang, K., Hua, L., Wang, Z. et al. One-step hydrothermal synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotubes/hydroquinone hydrogel and its electrochemical properties. Ionics 27, 5055–5065 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-021-04262-z

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