Synthesis and Mass Interaction Behaviour of Polyaniline-Graphene Oxide Composite for Energy Storage

The increasing demand for efficient, stable, and environmentally sustainable energy storage materials has intensified research into polymer–nanomaterial composites, particularly those incorporating conductive polymers and graphene-based structures. In this study, a polymer reinforced graphene-based composite was developed by synthesizing graphene oxide (GO) using the improved Hummers method and preparing polyaniline (PANI) through oxidative polymerization. The GO produced displayed characteristic features of a well-oxidized and exfoliated material, including a stable brown dispersion, a pH range of 6.5–7.5 after washing, and a dried fluffy black powder. PANI was successfully synthesized with a yield of 92.7% and subsequently incorporated into GO at different loadings (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 g) to fabricate PANI/GO composite fibres via ultrasonication and hydrothermal treatment. The resulting composites exhibited non-linear mass variations, with the highest composite mass recorded at 0.1 g PANI loading (3.20 g), indicating optimal interaction between PANI and GO at this concentration. Higher PANI additions led to inconsistent composite retention, suggesting possible polymer aggregation or saturation of GO binding sites. These findings demonstrate that PANI loading significantly influences composite formation efficiency and highlight the potential of optimized PANI/GO systems for future electrochemical and energy storage applications. Further characterization of the structural, electrical, and electrochemical properties is ongoing to establish the material’s suitability for advanced storage technologies. Overall, the results indicate that optimizing polymer–graphene interactions through controlled PANI loading provides a practical pathway for developing low-cost, scalable electrode materials with improved stability and performance for next-generation energy storage devices.