Anticorrosion and Supercapacitor Applications of Polypyrrole Coated Graphite Nanocomposites

Abstract

This investigation reports the successful incorporation of graphite into the Polypyrrole (PPy) matrix via in situ chemical polymerization. The obtained composites were thoroughly characterized using Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The corrosion inhibition performance of these composites on Mild Steel (MS) in acidic media was analyzed through Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Tafel analysis (potentiodynamic polarization), and SEM. Results demonstrate superior inhibitory properties of these composites in the studied acidic media. Both Tafel and impedance analyses revealed the dependence of corrosion protection on the polymeric components. The MS surface morphology was examined by SEM before and after corrosion tests. Furthermore, the synthesized materials were evaluated for supercapacitor applications using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Galvanostatic Charge-Discharge (GCD) measurements. These PPy/graphite composites show potential for further optimization in both supercapacitor and corrosion inhibition applications.