Electrochemical deposition of poly[ N,N′-ethylene-bis(salicylideneiminato)-nickel(II)] nanobelts as electrode materials for supercapacitors.

ABSTRACT N,N′-ethylene-bis(salicylideneiminato)]-nickel(II) [Ni(salen)] was synthesized in situ onto the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes via a one-step potentiostatic electrodeposition as one-dimensional nanobelts. The synthetic process was free of any templates or additives. Potential played a key role in the formation of the poly[ N,N′-ethylene-bis(salicylideneiminato)]-nickel(II)] {poly[Ni(salen)]} nanobelts, and the electrical conductivities of the poly[Ni(salen)] decreased with increasing deposition time. The capacitance values of poly[Ni(salen)] were 272, 195, and 146 F/g at 0.05 mA/cm² for deposition times of 10, 20, and 30 min, respectively. The capacitance of the sample with a particle structure was much lower than that of poly[Ni(salen)] with a nanobelt structure. The poly[Ni(salen)] nanobelts exhibited a better capacitive behavior than the poly[Ni(salen)] particles because the nanobelt structure made access for the charge and ion to the inner part of the electrode easier. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39561. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]