Polyaniline and MOF5 functionalized mesoporous silica composite as electrode for high performance symmetric supercapacitor

A novel nanocomposite electrode, PANI-MOF5@SBA-15-NH₂, was successfully fabricated by sequential functionalization of mesoporous SBA-15 silica with APTES and MOF5, followed by polyaniline coating via oxidative polymerization. The electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, including a high specific capacitance of 757 F/g at 1 A/g, outstanding cycling stability with 98.8% capacitance retention after 8000 cycles, and a coulombic efficiency exceeding 100%. Additionally, it achieved an energy density of 27 W h/kg and a power density of 128 W/kg. These improvements result from the synergistic effects of high surface area, enhanced conductivity, and abundant electroactive sites. The composite shows strong potential for advanced supercapacitor applications.