Single-step fabrication of poly(O-chlorobenzenamine)/silver halide nanosphere composite for pseudocapacitive energy storage

A nanospherical composite based on poly(2-chlorobenzenamine) and silver chloride (POCBA/AgCl NS-composite) was synthesized through a facile one-step, one-pot approach, providing a simple and efficient route to integrate conducting polymers with silver halides for advanced energy storage applications. The composite was thoroughly characterized, with XRD confirming its high crystallinity and semiconducting nature, while XPS validated the successful chemical integration and revealed the electronic environment of the constituent elements. Morphological analyses demonstrated the formation of uniform, porous nanospheres (∼180 nm), which facilitate rapid ion diffusion and effective electroactive surface utilization. Electrochemical evaluation in a pseudo-supercapacitor configuration revealed a high specific capacitance of 105 F g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹, retaining 86 F g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹, with an energy density of 8.8 Wh kg⁻¹. The device also exhibited low internal resistance (7.5 Ω) and outstanding cycling stability, maintaining 98.3% capacitance over 1000 charge–discharge cycles. Compared to previously reported polymer/silver halide composites, the single-step synthesized POCBA/AgCl NS-composite uniquely combines facile fabrication, high electrochemical performance, and excellent long-term durability, highlighting its potential as a next-generation pseudocapacitive material. This work demonstrates a novel strategy to engineer polymer–metal halide nanostructures, paving the way for efficient, reliable, and scalable energy storage devices.