Polypyrrole nanotube arrays on carbonized cotton textile for aqueous sodium battery

Polypyrrole (PPy) nanotubes on carbonized cotton textile have been prepared using ammonium vanadate nanowires as sacrificial templates, and characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectrum and transmission electron microscope. The process contains cotton textile carbonation in Ar gas, growing ammonium vanadate nanowires on the carbon textile, electrodeposition PPy layer on the nanowire, and dissolving the ammonium vanadate nanowire core to obtain PPy nanotube. The results show that pyrrole is uniformly polymerized around the ammonium vanadate nanowires and the PPy nanotubes are firmly adhere to the carbon textile. The electrochemical properties of the PPy nanotubes for aqueous sodium-ion battery are investigated with cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge test, and rate performance. The results exhibit a good electrochemical performance, which delivers a high discharge capacity of 108.8 mAh g⁻¹ over 100 cycles.